Removing dead grass around palms?

[Missi]

Is there anything that can help make this task less arduous? I have some type of crazy centipede grass that latches its root in and remains that way, even when completely dead.  We chop a circle (2-3 feet away from trunks) around the edge of the killed grass with a shovel then go to town on it with a thatching rake and a small 3 hand-held prong cultivator rake to remove the dead grass weeds and some of the soil to replace with top soil and mulch. All of this, in addition to spraying Roundup around 40-something trees and palms and carrying countless bags of top soil and mulch, has gotten my carpal tunnel (or whatever it may be) flaring up and we've only done 12 so far  To get it to go away, I need to take it a little bit more easy on the hands, but I need to continue the work. 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

A sod cutter would make quick work of it and are available for rent at big home depots.

[Missi]

14 hours ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

A sod cutter would make quick work of it and are available for rent at big home depots.

Well dang! I never knew there was such a thing!  Wish I knew that a few weekends ago 

[DoomsDave]

Banish the grass. Lawns are beautiful, but they're also a huge amount of work. Canopy cuts down on the weeds.

[sonoranfans]

I would put down weed mat and some dirt and mulch on top for 3-4' distance from the trunk., and let it sit till june with zero sun getting in.  Hold the chemicals, at least for now, they may have some effect on some palms.  I also recommend to clear more not less, grass steals fertilizer and water from your palms.  Also edge it to 3-4" monthly to prevent the grass from coming back over top.  In time the roots will die off and the grass will seek other territory.  Yeah, I hate grass too, but something has to hold the soil here.  Eventually i want only some grass out front only, probably 30% of the front yard.  As my canopy has grown in the grass has died back on its own.  If you don't have something growing or rock put down, the florida rain will wash your soil awa here. Shells/stone is ok but hard to walk on without shoes and its kind of expensive.  when I look at what it costs to put down several thousand square feet of rock all I see are all the beautiful palms that I could buy for that price, ughhh!

[DoomsDave]

8 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

I would put down weed mat and some dirt and mulch on top for 3-4' distance from the trunk., and let it sit till june with zero sun getting in.  Hold the chemicals, at least for now, they may have some effect on some palms.  I also recommend to clear more not less, grass steals fertilizer and water from your palms.  Also edge it to 3-4" monthly to prevent the grass from coming back over top.  In time the roots will die off and the grass will seek other territory.  Yeah, I hate grass too, but something has to hold the soil here.  Eventually i want only some grass out front only, probably 30% of the front yard.  As my canopy has grown in the grass has died back on its own.  If you don't have something growing or rock put down, the florida rain will wash your soil awa here. Shells/stone is ok but hard to walk on without shoes and its kind of expensive.  when I look at what it costs to put down several thousand square feet of rock all I see are all the beautiful palms that I could buy for that price, ughhh!

Thanks for the reminder about varying soils. Or "soils."

[MattyB]

Why would you want to remove perfectly good organic matter?  Just leave it there and choke it out with a 12" thick layer of mulch.  Whatever tries to encroach around the edges just round-up.  The grass roots will rot away and create nutrients for the palms.

[Missi]

Oh! Great advice guys! Thank you so much!! 

DD, I hate FL grass too! I grew up with plush grass in the Midwest. Nothing beats it. FL grass is disgusting! I let it comingle with the weeds and mow all as my "lawn"  Would MUCH rather have none...or stones! Stones are a *beep* to pull weeds from though...and the way weeds pop up EVERYWHERE here...

[Missi]

2 hours ago, MattyB said:

Why would you want to remove perfectly good organic matter?  Just leave it there and choke it out with a 12" thick layer of mulch.  Whatever tries to encroach around the edges just round-up.  The grass roots will rot away and create nutrients for the palms.

The original idea was to remove grass around each of the plants as well as at least 1 inch of the native soil and replace with purchased topsoil to slow nutrient leeching since my native "soil" is pure sand. After doing that with 12 plantings, I now know I'd much rather fertilize more often than tear out the grass! Plus like you said, free nutrients!!

[Missi]

3 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I would put down weed mat and some dirt and mulch on top for 3-4' distance from the trunk., and let it sit till june with zero sun getting in.  Hold the chemicals, at least for now, they may have some effect on some palms.  I also recommend to clear more not less, grass steals fertilizer and water from your palms.  Also edge it to 3-4" monthly to prevent the grass from coming back over top.  In time the roots will die off and the grass will seek other territory.  Yeah, I hate grass too, but something has to hold the soil here.  Eventually i want only some grass out front only, probably 30% of the front yard.  As my canopy has grown in the grass has died back on its own.  If you don't have something growing or rock put down, the florida rain will wash your soil awa here. Shells/stone is ok but hard to walk on without shoes and its kind of expensive.  when I look at what it costs to put down several thousand square feet of rock all I see are all the beautiful palms that I could buy for that price, ughhh!

Will weed mat keep the nutrients from getting to the roots?

[sonoranfans]

No, weed mat plus top mulch will allow nutrients and rain to reach palm roots while preventing the grass from getting light for photosynthesis.  Grass dies without sun after a couple months.  By edging around the mulch area, you prevent it from growing back in.  It has worked for me.  Weedmat under the mulch prevents grass growth from reaching out for the sun up through the mulch.  In 8-10 weeks or so it should all be dead under there.