Torpedo grass (Panicum repens) is the most aggressive weed I have in my garden. In my garden? Heck, once it got started, it is showing up everywhere. The root runners are down about 12 to 18 inches under the surface and unless you dig every piece of it up, it regrows at an even faster rate. I believe it came in in a purchased plant pot, because in 2000 when we moved into our home, the yard had zero torpedo grass. Does ANYONE have any methods of killing this scourge without killing everything it comes up in. It seems to specialize in coming up intertwined in the root system of another plant.

I am totally commiserating with you. Only digging out every inch of it is effective in the long run.

I try to keep in under control but it comes up even through the mulch if I don't put down a heavy barrier first. I have been trying a grass killer that kills the roots too. I have been told that you can kill certain plants without harming surorunding plants by putting weedkiller in a hypodermic syringe and injecting directed into the plant but I haven't tried it. It may work better this way if you use a more concentrated dose since the runners can be pretty long. I may try it this weekend as I have a small amount of it in my center bed.

Better get it while you have a small amount...

Yep. I'm constantly after it. It's currently trying to invade my peanut patch. That won't do...

I am bumping this thread up.

I have this noxious weed in so many places in my yard. It takes over like a plague. Any new ideas on how to get rid of it once it has established itself in your yard?

Becky, I heard an interesting talk just yesterday and the speaker mentioned that weeds are so prevalent in the nursery trade right now it is always wise to brush as much soil as you can off any potted plant you bring home. She stopped short of saying wash it all off but she did say get as much as possible off and throw it away in the trash, do not compost it because it is full of weed seeds.

Be persistent in digging it out and in the worst case, use a herbicide if needed.
I battled torpedo grass since moving to my home in 2004. My neighbor's yard is apparently a nursery for the stuff. I removed a 40-year-old 40 some foot, Viburnum hedge between properties. I dug out the grass and volunteer oak and palm trees growing in there in its midst. The gardening bed was made using landscape fabric, mulch on top with crepe myrtles every 6 feet. Almost immediately, torpedo grass began pushing through the fabric and mulch. This was my first experience with torpedo grass. I cussed, pulled it out and pulled more for months. After 2 years I removed the fabric and once again dug out what seemed like roots the size of a pencil and some up to 8 and 9 feet long from around the crepe myrtles and now a royal palm at the end of the bed. It seemed to use the 'professional landscape border' from the home depot as a root highway to spread even faster. And it still came back and I've pulled it many of my gardening hours but I am winning the battle. It is coming back only in a couple of spots now. And I have only sprayed a herbicide maybe 6 or 7 times over the years. I hope this helps those who have the misfortune of running into this weed.

Had a spot about 8' around in the front yard at the other house and finally just paid the lawn service to round-up a 12' X 12' area, let the entire thing die out to just dirt, and re-sod after it was done. One very expensive weed.......