If you’ve read my Bunny Wars posts about the depredations from our rabbit friends you might think we are besieged by critters. We are. There are a gazillion chipmunks, ground squirrels, big squirrels and rabbits in our yard. These fauna threats can do great damage but they are small potatoes compared to the real enemy:
Grass
Specifically the prairie grass / hay growing in the wild field behind us.
Garden With Field Behind May 28, 2015
The big wild field is a blessing, granting us privacy, peace and quiet, lots of wild life and birds.
Peonies in the Garden with Field Behind
But the grass is insidious, invasive. The prior owners had a chain link fence demarcating the yard from the field and I put our garden up against the fence. That is so we get the natural visual break and have a place for climbers.
Morning Glories Along the Fence
The problem is the grass does not respect the fence nor the plastic edging that we put at the back edge of the garden, that is about 8 inches deep. I dreamed of clematis and morning glories all summer and lilies and hollyhocks. Unfortunately the grass had other ideas.
Grass on the Field Side of the Fence
This spring the grass had taken over. You could not see the lilies or peonies for the grass.
First I sprayed grass killer on both sides of the fence, being careful to avoid perennials. Then it was digging and digging and digging. The grass has long tendril roots that run horizontally below the dirt. Everywhere it was a case of dig a hole, grab a bunch of roots, then follow along with the trowel and dig and pull them up.
Grass Roots Dug Up from the Tiny Shoots
The results were worth it.
Grass Wars First Victory June 2015
It takes constant vigilance. Each little grass root can sprout more grass. This is the root…
One Grass Root 15 Inches Long
that came from these three little shoots.
Innocuous Looking Grass Shoots
Every day I check the garden and dig out more roots, more shoots. Some day our morning glories, hollyhock and lilies will bloom gloriously!
Katelyn says
Ugh… I despise prairie grass. The previous owners let ours grow out of control before we moved in. My husband and I have tried everything except digging up the whole thing. I guess we would try that!
Kathy says
Katelyn, we tried everything and so far the only thing that worked was digging it up. You could try digging up all the plants you want to keep, dousing your grass patch with Round Up then covering with a barrier and re-planting, but I think you’ll find the grass will come up through the little holes you cut. Good luck with it! Let me know how it goes.
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