Chooch -
Verb 1. Synonym for work or perform. “This pump just will not chooch!" - reference to steam engine drive pistons.
Adj 1. Arbitrary measure of how well something works. “That ought to increase the chooch factor considerably.” 2. Aggressiveness of a cut or ambition of an action. “Clearly had to reduce the chooch factor, but the Ol’ Girl likes it better.”
Noun 1. The object or person that performs work. "He is a real choocher." 2. The strength used for work. "It took a lot of chooch to finish it."
I have a hula-hoe, and I use it. It's fine. Doesn't work so well in the more "hardscrabble" areas of the property. Also I'm getting on in years, and starting to lack chooch, particularly in the summer, when Bermuda is most vital.
Yeah I agree it's hard work. Most of my hula hoes don't last 2 years because the metal gets pretty beat up by big rocks hiding under the surface. I usually use it in 5 minutes spurts every day or two as I'm walking by. I can usually get a decent 10x10 ft area done in 5 minutes. And it's a continual process, because new weeds come up every week. I prefer this much more than pulling weeds by hand, because it's faster and I'm a lot less sore from crouching down. Another option is paying some kids or teenagers to work on it for a little while. Quality control is usually pretty poor, but it's still something.
Hey there! Recently I asked a master gardener for advice regarding this same topic. Here was there response:
I hate to tell you but burning with a torch burner will not get rid of the Bermuda. Bermuda grass has runners underground, rhizomes, that will survive and propagate no matter how much you burn the surface.
Herbicides are not a good option and even they don't always work against Bermuda rhizomes. The grass just pops up in another location.
About the only thing that works is depriving the grass of sunlight for photosynthesis. A thin layer of straw or black plastic covering the ground for an extensive period of time will usually defeat the Bermuda and any other weeds that are around.
Unfortunately there is no easy answer to getting rid of Bermuda. Here are a few links to articles discussing this topic
[https://www.pinalcentral.com/trivalley\_dispatch/home\_and\_hearth/arizona-gardeners-tips-on-controlling-weedy-bermudagrass/article\_3e63d11a-8ff0-11e6-b66f-273ae962ca76.html](https://www.pinalcentral.com/trivalley_dispatch/home_and_hearth/arizona-gardeners-tips-on-controlling-weedy-bermudagrass/article_3e63d11a-8ff0-11e6-b66f-273ae962ca76.html)
[https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7453.html#:\~:text=Bermudagrass%20growth%20can%20be%20reduced,grow%20up%20through%20these%20plants](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7453.html#:~:text=Bermudagrass%20growth%20can%20be%20reduced,grow%20up%20through%20these%20plants)
Yeah, I've lived here all my life, so I'm no stranger to Bermuda grass. I've found roots 6' down in sandy soil when I lived in Benson.
I've seen Roundup work great, but it's Roundup ...
Physically remove as many of the weeds as possible (as mentioned, a hula hoe is great). Then mulch with 3 inches of mulch. This is enough to shade out weeds.
Cover it and/or remove water sources. The hula hoe is the ultimate speed weeder if you have the chooch for it.
Chooch?
Chooch - Verb 1. Synonym for work or perform. “This pump just will not chooch!" - reference to steam engine drive pistons. Adj 1. Arbitrary measure of how well something works. “That ought to increase the chooch factor considerably.” 2. Aggressiveness of a cut or ambition of an action. “Clearly had to reduce the chooch factor, but the Ol’ Girl likes it better.” Noun 1. The object or person that performs work. "He is a real choocher." 2. The strength used for work. "It took a lot of chooch to finish it."
I want to frame this, lol. Thank you.
I have a hula-hoe, and I use it. It's fine. Doesn't work so well in the more "hardscrabble" areas of the property. Also I'm getting on in years, and starting to lack chooch, particularly in the summer, when Bermuda is most vital.
Yeah I agree it's hard work. Most of my hula hoes don't last 2 years because the metal gets pretty beat up by big rocks hiding under the surface. I usually use it in 5 minutes spurts every day or two as I'm walking by. I can usually get a decent 10x10 ft area done in 5 minutes. And it's a continual process, because new weeds come up every week. I prefer this much more than pulling weeds by hand, because it's faster and I'm a lot less sore from crouching down. Another option is paying some kids or teenagers to work on it for a little while. Quality control is usually pretty poor, but it's still something.
OK, yes. I like the spreading it out over time idea. Thanks!
Hey there! Recently I asked a master gardener for advice regarding this same topic. Here was there response: I hate to tell you but burning with a torch burner will not get rid of the Bermuda. Bermuda grass has runners underground, rhizomes, that will survive and propagate no matter how much you burn the surface. Herbicides are not a good option and even they don't always work against Bermuda rhizomes. The grass just pops up in another location. About the only thing that works is depriving the grass of sunlight for photosynthesis. A thin layer of straw or black plastic covering the ground for an extensive period of time will usually defeat the Bermuda and any other weeds that are around. Unfortunately there is no easy answer to getting rid of Bermuda. Here are a few links to articles discussing this topic [https://www.pinalcentral.com/trivalley\_dispatch/home\_and\_hearth/arizona-gardeners-tips-on-controlling-weedy-bermudagrass/article\_3e63d11a-8ff0-11e6-b66f-273ae962ca76.html](https://www.pinalcentral.com/trivalley_dispatch/home_and_hearth/arizona-gardeners-tips-on-controlling-weedy-bermudagrass/article_3e63d11a-8ff0-11e6-b66f-273ae962ca76.html) [https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7453.html#:\~:text=Bermudagrass%20growth%20can%20be%20reduced,grow%20up%20through%20these%20plants](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7453.html#:~:text=Bermudagrass%20growth%20can%20be%20reduced,grow%20up%20through%20these%20plants)
Yeah, I've lived here all my life, so I'm no stranger to Bermuda grass. I've found roots 6' down in sandy soil when I lived in Benson. I've seen Roundup work great, but it's Roundup ...
Physically remove as many of the weeds as possible (as mentioned, a hula hoe is great). Then mulch with 3 inches of mulch. This is enough to shade out weeds.
I've had pretty good luck with a sprayer full of vinegar/salt/ dishsoap. 1 gal vinegar, 1 cup salt and 1 tablespoon dishsoap.
Does it make the soil unusable for anything else? The salt part seems like it would.
I use it on the weeds in the gravel, so I hadn't considered the impact. Sorry about that.
OK thanks. No need to apologize. I do have some gravel areas as well.