"miniature bamboo" grass

[Kathie]

What is the weed grass that starts out low and seems to be quite invasive? And, more than what is it, what the heck do you do about it, short of pulling every little piece by hand? It is growing in among my ivy and other bed areas where I cannot spray.

Thanks! I'm just getting accustomed to this southern gardening...

[Marcy Hege]

Japanese stilt grass, microstegium, is nasty and invasive. Do your best to
control it.

Here is some info on it:http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm

For control, I've found that Ornamec herbicide works well and does not harm
most of my ornamental plants. Manufactured by PBGordon. This article has info
about treating the stilt grass:
http://ipm.ppws.vt.edu/weeds/Microstegium.pdf

Get rid of as much as you can before it goes to seed in late August/September.
The seeds are viable for several years and will spread throughout your yard.

Good luck.

[despammed@duke.edu]

In article >,
Kathie > wrote:
>What is the weed grass that starts out low and seems to be quite
>invasive?

Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum). (And it *is* quite
invasive!)

>what the heck do you do about it, short of pulling every little piece
>by hand?

In small areas, it's easy to pull by hand (though it will continue to come
back for a number of years). In larger areas . . . I don't know. We have
more then an acre of the stuff.

Good luck,
--
Steve