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new vinca and old grass
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Posted by joseph53p z7 MD (My Page) on Wed, Oct 26, 05 at 12:54
| I have just planted 2600 bare root vinca minor plants in a shady area that used to have very sad, unhappy grass. After killing (or so I thought) the grass with Roundup, I skimmed the top layer of dirt/dead grass off, then added topsoil and leafgrow. I also used Plant Starter liquid on each root and in each hole. The vinca were planted 4-6 inches apart, then mulched with about an inch of pine bark,and they are doing extremely well, if I do say so myself! Very green and healthy looking.
The problem is that now, with all of the soil preparation I did, and the careful watering I am doing, there is new grass growing up between and around the vinca plants, I suppose from ungerminated seeds that had been present in the dirt from all my earlier efforts to make grass grow.
Will the new grass die over the winter, and will the vinca take it over when it spreads? I am looking for a carpet of vinca type effect. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: new vinca and old grass
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| The grass may be sprouting from bits of roots left behind. As to whether it will die over the winter, it depends on the type of grass. I don't think vinca will crowd it out. However,if the grass doesn't die over the winter, there is still hope- Grass specific herbicide- like Grass-B-Gon. Grass is a monocot (one seed leaf0 and broad leaved plants are dicots (two seed leaves). What this means is that their chemistries are just a bit different. So there are broad leaf weed killers for lawns, grass killers of beds and plant killers that take out both of them. I'm sure I got a bit wrong there, but the jist of it is true. |
RE: new vinca and old grass
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| Thanks creatrix. I have a similar problem, only with more establish Vinca where grasses have mixed in with Vinca. I have tried to get rid of the grass by hand but it seems nearly impossible. I'll try some Grass-B-Gon. Nathan |
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