How to Kill Saw Grass in Your Yard

Saw grass is a warm season grass known for tall, reed-like light green blades. Although saw grass is found primarily throughout the southeastern United States of Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, saw grass may grow wherever sandy soil conditions and warm climates exist. Eliminating saw grass in your home lawn or garden is a very basic process that can be accomplished by anyone willing to devote time and effort to the task. Killing saw grass in your yard requires but a few short weeks and some inexpensive materials.

Kill Bad Grass

Spray actively growing grass with a grass killer, such as the non-selective herbicide glyphosate. Apply it only when the weather is not windy and when rain is not expected for the next two days. Reapply the grass killer to live patches if necessary. Pick up the resulting clumps of grass, shake off the soil and discard the clumps. An option is to rake away the grass. Cover the unwanted grass with six layers of cardboard, then cover the cardboard with 4 to 6 inches of mulch, such as leaf mold. If desired, punch holes in the cardboard and plant mature plants in soil beneath the holes, but watch for grass that may sneak through the holes. Pull that grass to remove it. Mow the grass with a lawnmower set at its lowest cutting height and during the hottest time of the year. For other areas of the landscape, use a weed trimmer to cut the grass short. Water the cut grass with 1 inch of water. During that time, the grass underneath the tarp will die from the excess heat created by the tarp and weather.

Kill Bad Grass

Spray actively growing grass with a grass killer, such as the non-selective herbicide glyphosate. Apply it only when the weather is not windy and when rain is not expected for the next two days. Reapply the grass killer to live patches if necessary. Pick up the resulting clumps of grass, shake off the soil and discard the clumps. An option is to rake away the grass. Cover the unwanted grass with six layers of cardboard, then cover the cardboard with 4 to 6 inches of mulch, such as leaf mold. If desired, punch holes in the cardboard and plant mature plants in soil beneath the holes, but watch for grass that may sneak through the holes. Pull that grass to remove it. Mow the grass with a lawnmower set at its lowest cutting height and during the hottest time of the year. For other areas of the landscape, use a weed trimmer to cut the grass short. Water the cut grass with 1 inch of water. During that time, the grass underneath the tarp will die from the excess heat created by the tarp and weather.