Well, I don't use it, but thick sections of newspaper, wet-down & covered with mulch work well for me.

When I did use grass killer I was real careful & spot-treated with a rag wrapped around a stick saturated in the stuff so I could swab the grass only.

We have used Grass B Gone, and it did no harm to the roses.

OTOH, it didn't kill the Bermuda Grass, either. :-)

Jeri

Fusillade or Verdict are for the killing of grasses in all situations, hope this helps

I pull grass out by hand...while on my hands and knees. And it's a bad experience every time. Diane

I second bluegirl's suggestion. I had tons of weeds growing between my rose bushes & it was impossible to pull them all out by hand. I put down a few layers of newspaper, wet it with the hose & then put down shredded bark on top. problem solved.

It's now 3 years later & i occasionally have a single weed growing here & there but the original weed forest has not returned.

Isn't it true that whatever will kill grass will also harm broadleaf plants? But not the other way around.

Not sure if it will harm anything. I keep ours mulched
and get just a few weeds / grass growing here & there in which I just pull out by hand.

Now having a lot of roses that would be a task.

Newspaper works well here and breaks down in about
3 months time.

May be different where your located though...

I wouldn't want to chance it. I don't like the idea of using any kind of herbicide any where near the roses. Try newspaper or mulch first before you go for the chemicals.

I always use newspaper and mulch within my garden and it has always worked. I wouldn't reccomend any weed killer because it is just too precarious to use near roses. I always use a weed wacker for anything stubborn.
Maude

In a climate of less than nine inches of precipitation per year with low humidity, nothing breaks down. Newspapers and bark mulch, especially large pieces of bark, are forever. I don't like to use chancy sprays, so it's down on the old knees to pull grass. Weeds are easy and if I get them in spring, there are very few the rest of the season. Diane

Newspaper won't work the grass is right next to the bushes.

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Steve, I had good results using a good amount of sand around the bases of roses. It makes the weeds pull out easier and easier as it works into the top areas of the soil. Bermuda will be a fight every time and needs a weed spray like Spectracide weed and grass which I have used but I always put some tall curved cardboard between the rose canes and the spray so no drift will touch the rose. Down in the canes, a pliers will help. I keep the metal weeders away because I don't want injury to cause cankers and lose the whole plant. The best thing to do is use the sand next to the canes and a good mulch layer beyond and spray or pull any grass outside the area where your cages are to keep it from coming in. I have not had any trouble with the Spectracide spray hanging around in the soil like Roundup does but I don't use it that often. I like mulch over newspapers whenever possible and flagstone over sand is even better.

For what it's worth, I had terrible grass problems in a long bed of very large shrub roses. I had put down newspaper and mulch around the roses, but over time that darned quack grass crept under the mulch and popped up in between the rose canes. We're talking very, very thorny take-your-life-in-your-hands mature roses. Pulling did not help even when I braved the lacerations, because I could not get the roots out. Finally, I broke down and bought Grass B Gone one spring. I used it BEFORE the roses had leafed out, figuring that was the safest timing, but the grass was already green and sprouting. Poof! Overnight I had dead and brown grass, and when the roses did leaf out there was not a sign of harm to them anywhere. I would do it again if I was in the same situation.

I have had no problems using Fluazifop, the active ingredient in Grass-B-Gone (which is getting more difficult to find). I agree with annececelia, use it while the plants are dormant. For me, hand pulling is always the safest method, followed by an application of Preen, then newspaper, then mulch. Nothing is permanent, there will always be some manual work required.

I haven't used any of the products mentioned but do use Glyphosate (Round-up). I generally only apply it with small paint brushes to kill obnoxious plants, usually Quack grass, or places it is impossible to get a grip to be able to pull the roots (between rocks). If I spray I typically use small bottles like the ones eye glass cleaner comes in or used windex type bottles. I, like another poster suggested, use a shield to protect wanted plants.

Good luck.

SCG