Although known as a resilient grass, especially in terms of heat and drought resistance, Bermuda grass is still a high-maintenance grass, difficult to control and potentially harmful to other plants. That’s why you need to use the best weed killers for Bermuda grass available.
In this article, you’ll find some of the most efficient weed killers for spot and large scale treatments that won’t kill nearby plant beds.
Top 3 - Weed Killers
6 Best Weed Killers for Bermuda Grass
The Monterey LG5518 Turflon Ester is a specialty herbicide and a potent weed and grass killer. It’s one of the top choices for treating cool-season grass due to it being a control substance that works against broadleaf weeds.
Though it’s available in 8oz, 16oz, and 32oz containers, I recommend going for the 16oz as it provides more than enough coverage. When mixed with water, this should be enough formula for up to 20,000 square feet of Bermuda grass.
Since the herbicide is designed to be mixed with water, the container it comes in doesn’t have a sprayer attachment. You’ll need to use a separate spray tank.
Keep in mind that this is highly potent stuff, seeing as over 60% of the formula is made of active ingredients - weed and grass killers.
One can’t say enough good things about BioAdvanced pesticides and herbicides. This particular herbicide has been formulated to treat fescue, perennial ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass from Bermuda grass and other weeds.
It’s highly potent, and you should keep in mind that it is potentially dangerous to other types of turf. With a single quart, you can treat up to 5,000 square feet. That may not seem like much now, but consider this: this formula doesn’t require diluting.
Since it’s premixed and ready to use, it’s much more comfortable and easy to use by inexperienced gardeners. I also like that it comes in a sprayer bottle so that no other attachments will be required.
You can also start treating your lawn at just about any time, given that the substance becomes rainproof in one hour after application.
This Ortho Weed B Gon weed killer comes as a concentrated formula. It’s one of the fastest acting herbicides that I can recommend to control the spread of Bermuda grass, as well as over 250 other types of weeds.
You’ll be able to see results in a matter of hours, which is not something that not many herbicides offer.
Whether you want to deal with Bermuda grass, clover, dandelions, or some other broadleaf weeds, stick to the label instructions and mix the correct proportions.
The main reason why it’s so effective is that it can kill weeds at their roots. That’s ideal if you don’t want to treat your lawn multiple times. The residual control effect provided is more than sufficient for a one-time application per season.
This concentrate comes in 32oz plastic containers. The Ornamec 170 herbicide is a selective weed killer that kills Bermuda grass, quack grass, crabgrass, foxtails, and a few other perennial kinds of grass.
It’s also known to have little effect on ornamental plants. That’s why I recommend it for use on plant beds, not just landscape beds.
When it comes to efficiency, Bermuda grass and other targeted species should completely die off in up to three weeks, depending on how concentrated you make the mixture. However, the growth of new grass will halt in up to 48 hours.
It may not be the fastest weed killer, but it’s safe to use. For reference, this concentrate contains about 1.7% active ingredients, hence why it’s a slower killer.
I should also point out that this is a rather affordable concentrate. You can stretch it quite a bit, especially if the situation on your lawn is not that bad.
The Sedgehammer Plus Turf Herbicide comes in packs of two. Each packet contains a formula with 5% active ingredients. You can use it on both ornamental turfs and residential lawns, but I recommended that you avoid using it on crop turf.
It can take out most weeds but is particularly effective against Bermuda grass and other broadleaf weeds. Although you can dilute it as much as you want, the recommended mixture should make up to one gallon of herbicide out of each packet.
With one gallon, you should be able to treat up to 1,000 square feet comfortably and prevent perennial weeds from reemerging.
Since the formula already contains a surfactant, as most concentrates should, the herbicide will be very easy to mix into a sprayable solution with minimal product waste.
If you want to take on landscaping but you’re not entirely confident in your abilities, I’d suggest starting with something affordable. The Bonide BND069 Sedge Ender is one of the most affordable weed killers you can get.
This concentrate was formulated to kill crabgrass, Bermuda grass, foxtail, and many other grassy weeds. It’s also safe to use on both warm and cool-season turfs.
I like that it provides both pre and post-emergent control. That means that you can use it during any season, depending on how you can free up time for lawn maintenance.
There’s some good waterproofing to this herbicide, too. However, it will take a few hours before the substance becomes completely waterproof. It doesn’t dry off as quickly as you would desire.
In terms of coverage, it will vary. With a single 16oz of concentrate, you could treat up to 8,700 square feet, depending on how much you dilute it. But even with a low concentrated DIY mix, you should get well over 8,000 square feet coverage, which is saying a lot at this price range.
Why Is Bermuda Grass Considered Dangerous?
Bermuda grass is a tricky type of grass to understand. On the one hand, it may seem like the ideal type of turf for warm seasons. It's resistant to drought, salt, and extreme heat, thus being very durable. But, it also requires lots of nutrients to feed its resilience.
As such, Bermuda grass can take sustenance away from neighboring plants, including edible plants, ornamental plants, and so on. It needs a lot of maintenance to reach that high level of tolerance, and even more so if it’s to survive the winter.
Because it has such an extensive root system, it can easily invade other turfs and even allow other invasive weeds to thrive alongside it.
Types of Herbicides for Bermuda Grass
You can use certain herbicides on Bermuda grass without affecting adjacent turf. Generally speaking, herbicides that target broadleaf weeds will also kill Bermuda grass.
However, you’ll have to pick the correct herbicide for your lawn. Some herbicides only work on cool season turf, and others only work on warm-season grass.
You’ll usually find this information on the label. And, don’t be surprised if some herbicides are even more targeted, and may only be safe to use on one or two types of grass.
Pre and Post Emerging Control
Chances are, you won’t be able to get rid of Bermuda grass on your property forever. But you can measure the herbicide’s efficiency by seeing how quickly it kills the grass and how fast it stops new grass and weeds from growing.
Some herbicides will kill off weeds in a matter of hours or days but won’t travel deep enough to target the root system. Others will kill everything above and below the ground but won’t remain in the soil long enough to prevent new roots systems from developing.
You won’t find the perfect balance anywhere if I'm honest. That’s why I recommend just focusing on a herbicide that will only kill what you need killing.
That’s How You Keep the Right Kind of Green in Your Yard
Finding the best weed killers for dealing with Bermuda grass is a challenge, I’ll give you that. And it’s not because of an overly saturated herbicide market, but because of how many things have to click in place.
But now that you know the main differences and similarities between some popular herbicides, you’ll know what to look for on the label and how to avoid making mistakes.
This has been a big help.But after I kill it do I have to dig I up and plant new grass in those spots?