How to Remove Rye Grass From Bermuda

Keeping that lush lawn means killing off the rye grass in the spring.


Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) provides a lush, green lawn all summer, but it turns brown when it goes dormant in the winter in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10. To keep a green lawn in the colder months, planting cool-season rye grass (Lolium perenne) can help. Rye grass grows as a perennial in USDA zones 3 through 9 and as an annual elsewhere. It can lead to clumps and bare spots in the Bermuda grass, so removing it is key to keeping your healthy summer lawn.


Set a date to apply the herbicide to kill the rye grass before the Bermuda grass fully emerges. Spring is best, typically between the last frost and the time you see green appear in your Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass needs 90 to 120 days of unfettered growing time, so you must get rid of the rye grass early. However, the earlier you kill the rye grass, the longer your lawn is likely to take to be green again.


Mix one water-soluble packet of trifloxysulfuron-sodium herbicide with 2 gallons of water in a garden sprayer. Other selective herbicide options include metsulfuron, foramsulfuron and rimsulfuron. Check the manufacturer's instructions before mixing; different formulations might require different mixing amounts.


Spray the solution evenly over the rye grass. Start at one corner of your yard and spray a line to the opposite corner, then make passes parallel to the first until your entire yard is covered with the herbicide.


Watch for the rye grass to show signs of death in about two weeks. You might need to reapply in spots after three weeks if all the rye grass hasn't died.

Things You Will Need

  • Water-soluble herbicide such as trifloxysulfuron-sodium, metsulfuron, foramsulfuron or rimsulfuron
  • Garden sprayer


  • If you want to kill your rye grass faster, try an herbicide such as metribuzin, mixed in a proportion of about one-third herbicide and two-thirds water in your sprayer. Using an herbicide that takes longer, such as trifloxysulfuron-sodium, often is preferable because it gives the Bermuda grass time to start turning green before the rye grass fully dies. However, the faster herbicide often is slightly more effective, so it might not need to be reapplied.

Photo Credits

  • Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Suggest a Correction