Grass roots invading my orange tree

tecko starts with ...
How do I get rid of grass roots invading my Washington navel orange tree? At present, I just let them grow, and pulled them off occasionally. Is there a better way of tackling this problem?

tecko says...
Hi, Brendan. Thanks very much for your suggestion. Will try it out.

Brendan says...
Hi Julie, No, the Gypsum won't kill the grass, the newspaper does. The Gypsum helps open up the soil around the tree, and helps prevent root-rot. And yes, it does work on couch.

Hobo Jones says...
Easy just BEND DOWN AND REMOVE THEM NOT HARD then if your a greenie compost if not throw it over to your neighbours and let them put the weeds in the bin if your LAZY
HOBO JONES

amanda says...
Don't wan't to be a Forum-crasher...but after 20+ yrs of renting and therefore putting up with couch 'lawns'...I loathe the stuff (and kikuyu)....I have tried all the tricks and found they don't work in the long-run (eg: glyphosate, hand digging, newspaper..etc)

Like Julie says - hand digging is hard - u have to practically sift the soil to get every tiny root.
I don't have it here - but it has come in thru' my manure source. I don't muck around with it now and use a long term nasty chemical - but I only apply it to the grass leaves and protect the soil (as it is residual)

Personally, I think couch grasses are worse than 'buggars'! - can't say what i really think in a family-friendly forum :)))

Tecko - it depends on what grass you are talking about?

Itdepends says...
I use glypho personally. Putting a garden bed around it with weed barrier to keep the grass out would be better.

Dekka says...
All you need to do is create a spade edge circle around your tree, beyond the drip line. This creates a kind of air-filled moat around the tree deeper than the grass roots and runners. Everything within the circle is mulched.

Itdepends says...
I extended my vege garden to include my citrus- they were previously surrounded by lawn. Since I've done that they've taken right off.

The few plants I've got growing under the citrus (shallots and strawberries) require minimal cultivation- and compete far less than the grass did. Plus being in the vege garden the citrus gets a lot more water and fertilizer.

Your citrus would do a lot better with a garden bed around it planted with shallow rooted plants like a few annuals than it currently does (competing with grass).

You can also get those recycled tyre rubber mats that are designed to go around trees if you don't like bare dirt or planting anything under them. Personally they aren't big enough though.

Daniel

Speedy says...
'Running' grasses spread in two ways.
Via Stolons -Stems that run across the top of the ground eg. Buffalo
and via Rhizomes- stems that run under the ground eg. running bamboos.

The thing with Couch and Kikuyu grass is that they do both.
They'll grow under or step over a small barrier

IME the tighter the ground (compacted, low OM, exposed to heat and dry) the bigger and tougher the rhizomes grow and the more the grass relies on rhizomes as a storage organ and survival mechenism.
Following Brendon's suggestion re. adding Gypsum, this would improve soil tilth, water infiltration, proper nutrient cycling in the soil and thus easier to dig the grass.
Thick mulch tends to weaken the grass for some time as it moves its reserves of energy to closer to the soil surface.
This also enables it to be pulled more easily.
As Steve just said you'll never completely stop them but soil improvement and heavy mulching certainly makes the job much easier.

Itdepends says...
RE couch grasses- I've just run an electrical trench (minimum depth 600mm) and there's couch roots down to most of the depth of the hole. The stolons however generally only go 30cm down or so.

If you do put a root barrier in- make sure it's a decent one. The decorative garden edgings you get at nurseries or hardware stores are useless- for grass you're better off with a tree root barrier, conveyor belting or similar.

Daniel

Nichole71 says...
Does all this information apply to apples trees also? We have 2 trees and about to rip up our crappy lawn and lay sir Walter. So while we have to excavator here to take up the grass in the yard I'll get him to do around the bottom of the trees also. Do I still dig the trench around the drip line and put a barrier in and is sugar cane mulch ok to use? Thanks in advance