Bermuda grass has a way of turning one fruit tree into a never-ending chore. A gardener hoping to build a guild around a cherry tree found that even mulch couldn't stop the aggressive grass from creeping back in.
What's happening?
In a post on Reddit, the gardener, who said they are in zone 9B in Yolo County, asked for chemical-free ideas after repeated hand-pulling failed.
The original poster wrote: "I'm hand picking it but it'll just keep coming up. How do you guys tackle Bermuda? Do you work with it? Suppress it? What would your game plan be?"
Replies to the thread suggested a combination of removing the grass and giving other plants a chance to compete with it. People suggested heavy mulching and deep weeding, then named vigorous plants that might crowd the grass out, including "hooligan" herbs and wildflowers around established fruit trees as well as sprawling edibles like pumpkin or sweet potato to shade the soil.
A number of commenters also emphasized blocking the grass before planting into the area. As one commenter put it: "The only way is cardboard and paper, every year, well overlapped." They also advised covering that layer with mulch, then punching holes for transplants later, with the reminder that Bermuda weakens under heavy shade.
Why does it matter?
The difficulty comes from how easily Bermuda returns: even small pieces left behind can regrow, continuing to compete with young trees and food crops for water and nutrients. One commenter summed up the challenge plainly: "Bermuda is a multi year battle. It needs to be completely removed, as an inch of the stolon can grow a new plant."
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Gardening can be not only an enjoyable hobby, but also provide light physical activity and benefits to mental health. But dealing with a pesky weed can feel discouraging for beginner gardeners.
What can I do?
One chemical-free approach is to cut off the grass from light by laying down overlapping cardboard or paper and covering it with mulch, which also helps hold moisture. If you are looking for more low-spray strategies, you can explore more resources on how to control weeds without chemicals.
After that, gardeners can fill the space with plants that cast shade and cover bare ground. One commenter shared, "In Florida we used sweet potatoes to shade the ground, nice big creeping round leaves everywhere left no room for weeds." Another said an aggressive pumpkin patch outcompeted grass across a large area — with the added bonus of freshly grown food going in your pantry.
For a cherry tree guild, that could mean building gradually: protect the tree, keep mulch thick but away from the trunk, and add compatible herbs, flowers, or edible groundcovers over time.
The original poster put the goal simply: "I'd like to plant a guild here, it is a cherry tree." And as one commenter reminded the gardener, "it can be done, I'm winning the war in my backyard, but it took about 5 years of trying different things."
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