Q: Removing one turfgrass from another is a tough assignment. Digging is one option but it is hard work. If you use a chemical, how will a herbicide tell one from the other? Here is one way:

Q: I seeded my back yard with ‘Zenith’ zoysiagrass this spring. I have found a few small patches of bermudagrass in the middle of the zoysiagrass. Is there a way to get rid of the bermudagrass without hurting the zoysiagrass?

A: According to UGA weed specialist Tim Murphy, you must spray bermudagrass three times, at four week intervals, with glyphosate (Roundup) in order to kill it. If you start spraying now, you won’t have time to plant seed before winter. Start the sequence next spring when you first notice the bermudagrass spots. You can then plant ‘Zenith’ in mid-summer.

Suppressing the bermudagrass is another tactic to try. I note that the label on Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover and Oxalis Killer(tm) states that the chemical causes damage to bermudagrass but is tolerated by zoysiagrass. If you are content to suppress the bermudagrass try to “find” a clover plant in the bermudagrass and spray it at four week intervals with the product mentioned.