I have an oleander bush that has a crab grass problem at the base of the plant. What's the best way to kill the grass and not the bush? Thanks!!

I think you can use glyphosate on the grass blades while protecting the trunk of the Oleander.

I'm not sure that's crabgrass.

It's helping shade the ground, whatever it is, the only other green thing in sight. It seems extreme to use chems to kill such a small spot of anything, in such a barren spot.

It may be Bermuda grass. The best time to tell the difference between the two is when it blooms, but it looks suspiciously like Bermuda grass.

The problem is it won't stay small and unassuming and will strangle the Oleander roots. Dig it out. That's the only way I know to get rid of it. Get every little piece as all those stem sections will root and start more plants. I have literally dug up plants to get rid of the Bermuda grass.

Either Fusilade or Poast will kill the Bermudagrass without harming the Oleander.

That does not look like crab grass or bermuda grass to me. A clearer picture of it in sharp focus will help a lot toward identification.

If the weed is a sedge instead of a grass, there is not much that will kill it. Possibly Image or Sedgehammer.

WAMcCormick said: That does not look like crab grass or bermuda grass to me. A clearer picture of it in sharp focus will help a lot toward identification.

Added some photos

Lucy68 said: It may be Bermuda grass. The best time to tell the difference between the two is when it blooms, but it looks suspiciously like Bermuda grass.

The problem is it won't stay small and unassuming and will strangle the Oleander roots. Dig it out. That's the only way I know to get rid of it. Get every little piece as all those stem sections will root and start more plants. I have literally dug up plants to get rid of the Bermuda grass.

Added more photos

NaturallyGreen said:

Sure looks typical of bermuda to me...
Like some of the lawn came back when the shrub was watered.

Personally... I think I'd scrape as much off the soil surface that I could... And then a butt-load of mulch. Cover all that bare ground!

Looking at the surroundings, I wonder where a grass seed came from? Thinking it was in the soil that came with the shrub.

If it can't spread past the little spot where you're watering the shrub and into the surrounding ground - that looks like concrete, I'm not sure why it's a problem. Where there is nothing growing, why is anything green not welcome - even a hideous vine-grass? I'm not trying to be a smart-alec, I'm genuinely curious. Cardboard or mulch would smother it, or kitchen scraps, if sacrificing anything green in such a spot is desired.

I agree with Stone. It looks like Bermuda grass and try smothering it with mulch.

I agree with Lucy way up at the beginning: dig it out. I've never seen Bermuda grass successfully eliminated by mulch of any type, not even heavy plastic. It just travels underground.

I wouldn't suggest smothering that grass if I had not already done so successfully in gigantic areas, compared to the shovel-size spot in question. Never plastic though, that's never been suggested by me.

It looks like the grass would not otherwise be alive if it was not being watered.

Well yes, that's obviously the only irrigated patch in a parched wasteland and that's why the grass is there, but one assumes NaturallyGreen is trying to nurture that valiant oleander.

I didn't mean to imply you suggested plastic, just saying I've never seen any mulch eradicate Bermuda grass roots. In my experience, BG is like cockroaches, you might temporarily knock it back in one place but the runners just pop up elsewhere. Happy to hear you've been more successful.

That patch is so small it's still diggable—soak well the day before and just dig out every visible stolen. Then, as Stone suggested, lay a wide perimeter of organic matter around the oleander...for the oleander's sake and to reduce watering needs.

I would be afraid of damaging the oleander's roots digging enough to eliminate the grass. It would be a minor but repeated chore to shave it off at the ground repeatedly until the oleander gets big enough to compete.

Last picture sure looks like bermuda grass. That is some pesky stuff.

purpleinopp said: Looking at the surroundings, I wonder where a grass seed came from? Thinking it was in the soil that came with the shrub.

If it can't spread past the little spot where you're watering the shrub and into the surrounding ground - that looks like concrete, I'm not sure why it's a problem. Where there is nothing growing, why is anything green not welcome - even a hideous vine-grass? I'm not trying to be a smart-alec, I'm genuinely curious. Cardboard or mulch would smother it, or kitchen scraps, if sacrificing anything green in such a spot is desired.

It's killing my bush. Out of 30 oleanders, this one is the only one that's not thriving, it's turning brown.

NaturallyGreen said: It's killing my bush. Out of 30 oleanders, this one is the only one that's not thriving, it's turning brown.

That's what Bermuda grass does, strangles the roots. Oleanders are extremely hard to kill so if its the only one with Bermuda grass and the only one dying, I would suspect the Bermuda grass.That's why I'm willing to dig up a bush to get rid of it. As its winter, even in SoCal, the oleander may not notice.

Fusilade or Poast really do control Bermudagrass without damaging dicots. Spray as little of the Oleander as you can (I forget which one needs a sticker - that's what does the damage) and it should do the trick. Yes, it might take a few doses, but faster than digging or mulching. Not that mulching would be a bad idea.