It sounds like you did a good job planting. Hurricane rains may have leached some mineral nutrients out of the soil. Go ahead and apply again using your starter fertilizer. Additionally, apply winterizing fertilizer this Fall after the top-growth has stopped. Good luck with your TTTF lawn.

Thank you for the advise. I did just what you said but now have a couple more questions... I went back out and laid down started fert and the grass started to grow a little again, not much, but it was late in the year. This is where I might have messed up. I had some leaves in my back yard and I was lazy and did not want to rake them so... I went and mowed with my push mower (with a bag) that was actually set at probably 1.5 to 2 inches. Well I think the top growth had already stopped for the year. In late Nov I applied scotts winterizer fert. My grass stayed dark green all winter just 1.5 tall...

Well I put out pre Em in Feb. (a little early I know now) with fert and now have a good bit (prob 10% of lawn) of very light green grass mixed in with the TTTF that is growing like crazy. I ran the mower over it this weekend at about 3 inches just to cut the tops of the light green grass off but it is up to over 4 - 5 inches again. My TTTF is not growing at all but is still short and dark green.

My question is...

What is this light green grass? (Rye?) Why is it growing so fast and why is my TTTF not growing at all?? Its not dead it looks healthy just short.

Do you suggest more fert now to get the TTTF going or wait until April? It has been very wet here this Spring?

On a side note I see now why everyone says not to till or disc the lawn. Even though I raked and rolled the lawn flat my clay soil is now far from level. It is actually horrible and I will have to bring in a truck load or more of top soil this fall to fill in the holes.

Thanks in advance for your help...

The light green might be your namesake. What part of North Carolina are you in? When did you first see the light green grass? It could have been weed seed that came with the bag of seed you purchased.

As always PICTURES AND EXACT LOCATION WOULD HELP IMMENSELY!!!!!

It's hard to say without seeing the grassblades.

But in my area, the Poa Annua (Annual Bluegrass) is going gangbusters and fits your general description. It's much lighter green than most other grasses. And it is the only thing that is actively growing at this point.

Can you take a close up picture of the grass? It would help with identification. I hope, for your lawn's sake, that it isn't annual bluegrass. It's a horrible weed that will die at the first sign of summer heat, leaving your lawn with brown deadspots.

It germinates in Fall/spring so the cycle repeats itself every year.

Ok here is a try for pictures. Never posted pictures before so let me know if I need to do something different. I live 20 miles NW of Charlotte.

[IMG]http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu80/isaacshane1/Omnia014.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu80/isaacshane1/Omnia015.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu80/isaacshane1/Omnia016.jpg[/IMG]

You had the right idea about posting pictures; however, this is an old HTML forum. You have to use HTML coding. Here are your pictures.

{{gwi:118012}}

{{gwi:118013}}

{{gwi:118014}}

Our temps have been low enough at night that growth for any type of grass is pretty minimal. I'm a warm-weather grass guy that got tired of the very thing that your going through, so I made a move from TTTF to bermuda. Anyway, if I were you, I wouldn't worry so much about the growth at this time since we are still having nights in the 40s and 30s. Once we start to consistently get to the 70s, with lows no lower than the mid 50s, you'll see good growth. Your going to need to re-seed in the Fall no matter how optimal the summer weather is for Fescue, so for now, enjoy our Tar Heels in the NCAA tourney and relax.

I think I will be pulling for OK.. Big Dukies fan ... Can anybody ID this grass/weed?

> "Can anybody ID this grass/weed?"

Orchard grass / goosegrass / barnyard grass etc etc.
There are no selective chemical control labeled for these grassy weed removal.

If the weed is growing much faster and higher than the good grass, there is an effective although tedious method of killing the weed. Mix round-up with water at the correct strength in a tin can and paint the tips of your goose or quack grass using a brush or sponge. Mow the grass first and let it grow out for a three or four days or whenever the weed is much higher than the grass. A cotton glove over rubber or latex glove also works as an applicator. Dip thumb and forefinger in the solution and stroke the blades with roundup.
Bill Hill

Oh a Dookie fan . . . didn't work out so well with OU, huh? Go Heels!