What Kill Weeds but Not Mondo Grass?

Mondo grass, also known as liriope and monkey grass is a groundcover used mostly as a garden border and tree border. Sometimes, it is also used to cover the entire lawn especially in the southern region of the United States or in warmer climates. Mondo grass or monkey grass is usually a very sturdy species and does not require much caring. In this article, we will discuss What Kill Weeds but Not Mondo Grass?

But other weeds or invasive grass species can grow under mondo grass and negatively affect the growth as they will compete for nutrients and sunlight. This can ruin the overall aesthetics of your entire lawn and diminish your hard work.

There are various methods that a gardener or a homeowner can follow to get rid of the weed problem affecting their mondo grass. Some methods are more effective than others and cause less damage to the mondo grass and some methods can harm the grass to some extent. Choose the method that suits your gardening needs the most and follow it thoroughly. 

How to Get Rid of Weeds in Mondo Grass? 10 Methods

Different methods work in different ways to get rid of weeds in mondo grass but the basic mechanism remains the same. The most important factor to keep in mind while dealing with weed problems in mondo grass is making sure that the mondo grass does not get affected. The other factors to consider is making sure that the weed gets destroyed from the roots and the weed does not leave any seeds behind from which it can germinate again.

The most common and effective methods of dealing with weeds growing in mondo grass are hand pulling, mulching, pouring boiling water, using vinegar solution, using salt and water solution, spreading homemade weed killer, spreading corn gluten meal, flame weeding, and using herbicide. 

Method 01: Hand Pulling

Hand-pulling weed is one of the most effective ways of dealing with unwanted invasive grass species on your lawn. Hand-pulling weed means finding the weed and using your hand to pull out that weed from its roots.

Hand-pulling weed can be done in any weather but it is recommended to pull out weeds when the soil is relatively wet. Pulling out weeds when the soil is dry can result in the soil breaking apart. Dry soil also prevents pulling out the weeds from their roots as the weeds break around the roots and the roots remain in the soil.

Pulling out the weeds early in the season helps to prevent the weeds from spreading all over the lawn. They are also shorter and younger around this time and do not have deep roots.

You should also be careful not to pull the weeds at an angle as this can cause them to break from the roots. Always tug them straight up from the ground to avoid breaking them. You can also lightly loosen the soil around the mondo grass as this helps to pull out the weeds.

The only downturn of this method is that it is a very tiresome process. Hand-pulling weeds takes a lot of time and effort but this method takes out the roots of the weeds which ensures that they will not come back.

Method 02: Mulching

Another useful method of getting rid of weeds is using mulch. Mulch is typically a mixture of shredded or chipped bark, pine needles, grass clippings, newspaper, shredded leaves, stray, and so on that is used to fertilize the soil.

Mulch blocks access to sunlight and water for the weeds and slowly starves them to death. Spread a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the mondo grass and weigh them with wet newspaper. This will not only kill the weeds on your liriope bed but will also fertilize the lawn. Make sure to avoid overwatering as mulch holds a lot of moisture. 

Method 03: Boiling Water

A cheap and effective method of getting rid of weeds around the mondo grass is using boiling water. Boil tap water in a kettle and pour it on the weed. Boiling water’s extreme heat will cause the water inside the cells of roots and stems to evaporate and destroy the cell wall killing the weeds.

Make sure to wear adequate protection such as protective masks, protective gloves, boots, eye protectors, and full-sleeved clothes. It might take 3-4 times to pour boiling water on the weeds to get rid of the weed problem completely.

Be careful to not spill hot water on the liriope or mondo plant and avoid splashing water on your hand or feet at all costs.

Method 04: Vinegar Solution

You can also use a vinegar solution to kill the weeds on your lawn. Vinegar is acidic and a 5% solution will be able to kill most kinds of weed. The acid within vinegar breaks down cell walls and kills the weeds.

Be very careful to avoid spraying it on any of the mondo grass because it will dry out its roots as well. Avoid this method if the thickness of the mondo grass on your lawn is too dense.

Method 05: Salt

You can get rid of weeds with the help of salt. Salt is absorbed by the weed’s root systems and disrupts the water balance resulting in the weed slowly dying.

You can apply salt directly on any weed that you want to kill. Sprinkle coarse salt directly on the weeds. You can also dissolve about 200g of salt in 1 liter of water and spray it on the weeds around your mondo plant. Make sure to avoid spraying on the mondo grass or the roots of the mondo grass.

Using a salt and vinegar mixture is also very effective in getting rid of the weed problem. Salt is less harmful than most pesticides for the environment and it is effective as well.

Method 06: Homemade Weed Killer

It is not very difficult to prepare an effective weed-killing chemical at home as all of the necessary ingredients to do that are readily available in most homes. Mix a gallon of white vinegar, one cup of salt, and one tablespoon of dish soap to make a potent weed-killing chemical.

Spray this directly on the weeds surrounding the mondo grass on your lawn. Be careful to not spray this solution directly on the mondo plant or its roots as they might get affected as well.

Method 07: Weed Barrier Fabric

Using weed barrier fabric is also an effective way of getting rid of weed. Weed barrier fabric blocks out access to sunlight and water for the weeds and kills them.

Poke holes in the weed barrier fabric so that the mondo grass does not get covered by the fabric. Then lay the fabric covering all of the surface area where weeds have been growing.

The weeds will die from lack of water and sunlight and you will be able to take out the barrier fabric.

Barrier fabric is a fantastic method of getting rid of weed but it will not be effective if the entire lawn is covered with mondo grass. Use this method if you are using mondo grass as border plants.

Method 08: Corn Gluten Meal

Corn gluten meal is a byproduct of the wet milling process of making cornmeal which is mostly used in cattle feed for its high protein content. Corn gluten meal can also work as a weed killer if applied correctly. Spread corn gluten meal around your mondo grass to prevent weeds from growing all over the ground. Corn gluten meal is high in nitrogen and will hinder the weeds from growing. 

Method 09: Flame Weeding

Flame flame-weeding method uses the intense heat produced by a fuel-burning device such as a propane gas burner to damage and kill the weeds. This process works best when the weeds are still small and young.

Use a propane gas burner to carefully burn the weeds growing around your mondo grass plant. Be very careful while handling the propane burner to avoid accidents. Use protective gloves, eye protectors, and full-sleeved clothes.

Avoid touching the mondo grass with your flame as it will do considerable damage to it if it touches. Avoid this method altogether if the mondo grass on your lawn is too dense.

Method 10: Commercial Herbicides

Commercial herbicides can be a very effective solution for getting rid of the weed problem in your lawn. This method is especially effective if the mondo grass on your lawn is dense as other methods sometimes harm the mondo grass as well.

Use Fusilade (Fluazifop-P-butyl) or sethoxydim as a spot spray or over-the-top spray to control the weeds growing around your mondo grass. These herbicides do not harm the mondo grass but will kill the weeds surrounding it.

Be cautious while handling herbicides of any kind. Use protective masks, gloves, eye protectors, and full-sleeved clothes while spraying these herbicides.

How to Prevent Weed in Mondo Grass?

Weeds are a natural part of gardening and it cannot be entirely eradicated completely. The best practice is pulling out the weeds from their roots as soon as they arrive. This will stop them from spreading all over the lawn. 

What Kills Weeds and Helps Grass Grow?

Mulch and newspaper help the grass to grow by composting and providing nutrients to the soil. At the same time, they block access to sunlight and moisture for the weeds on the soil and eradicate them.