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nwilliamson25

Weed identification help!

10 years ago

Hello- I was hoping for some help identifying this weed from my lawn. I was thinking it was quack grass at first but after looking a little closer and doing some research, I'm not so certain it is. The main reason for my doubts is because it looks like it's missing the clasping auricles. I'm not 100% sure what type of grass I have throughout the yard, but I am in zone 4 (if that helps). Thanks for the feedback!

Comments (11)

  • 10 years ago

    It's a weedy grass.

    How much of it do you have.

    And at what height do you mow?

    Oh yes; those tan, shreddy cuts are telling you to sharpen the mower. Right now, they're chewing the grass rather than cutting it.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    smooth brome/ cheatgrass? there are some markers on that that make me think so, but need to see a seedhead. Anything similar growing in a non-mowed area?

  • 10 years ago

    Mow at 3" and just sharpened the blades before the last cut. Took me awhile to find a blade with some seeds, but hope this helps. Was tough to get a focused picture with my phone..

  • 10 years ago

    Truth be told, that isn't enough of a seedhead to identify. It doesn't look like it has fully come out yet. Which might be good for you. That said, I'm totally rooting for you. I think I have the same stuff here and I haven't been able to fully identify. I started looking around my neighborhood.


    My theory is that there are a lot of brome grasses. I know I have some for sure. Some smooth, some hairy...etc. Brome has taken over the West and is moving East and I recognize a lot of seedheads along my neighborhood streets. You're right, it isn't quack. If it is Brome, it is a prolific seeder which is a downside. However, the good is that it doesn't have rhizomes or a tuber.

    Nothing selectively controls it in cool season grasses...tenacity might have some promise at higher apps.

    does yours have a rhizome? or is it a bunch grass?

  • 10 years ago

    It seems like it's just a bunch of grass. I've pulled a decent amount and haven't seen any rhizomes yet.. Found a couple more seed heads, hope it helps! Thanks for the help!


  • 10 years ago

    That seed head makes me think Poa Trivialis/ Rough Bluegrass. Mostly bunch, but does have short stolons.

    Should be coarse to walk on, lighter green in color than healthy lawn...compare some pics to what you see. I'm curious.

  • 10 years ago

    Thanks for all the help Hyacin! Can you recommend any removal methods?

  • 10 years ago

    What kind of grass is the rest of your lawn?

  • 10 years ago

    Dig that unwanted grass out of the lawn. Anything you spray to kill it will also kill the grass you want to keep.

    kimmq is kimmsr

  • 10 years ago

    Hyacin- not sure what type of grass I have, seems to be a robust mix.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Without knowing what the other grasses are, it makes the decision for us...we cannot use selective herbicides for it.

    Hopefully you have patches of it and not wide distribution. If so, hit those patches with 2-3 apps of round up (glyphosate). They'll wither away and then you can overseed bare areas. This, again, makes it tough because we don't know what other grasses you need to overseed with.

    I would recommend spraying before digging in case it is reproducing via stolons...kill it all.

    Glyphosate will kill whatever grasses it hits. To combat this, I have a set of all different diameter PVC pipe couplings. Actually, I'm preferring the reducers lately, like this:

    http://www.lowes.com/pd/Charlotte-Pipe-2-in-x-3-in-dia-PVC-Adapter-Coupling-Fitting/3132737

    I select the diameter for the size of the grass I want to spray and place it over the top and spray inside the coupling thus saving the grass around it so you only have small bare spots. Now, if you have warm season grasses, those spots might fill right in, but that won't be the case with cool season...you'll need to overseed.

    Oh, this is important. That stuff, even if we are wrong, has seeded your yard. You'll want to look into pre-emergents like Prodiamine and Dithiopyr. These stay active in the top layer of soil to kill seeds that try to germinate...they do not kill your established grass. Keep in mind, that if you are overseeding, it will kill that too. You have to apply these later...I know Prodiamine is 60 days after seeding. Also, Prodiamine can last 8-9 months in the soil, where Dithiopyr is shorter and can last 3-4 months....depending on rainfall.

    In short: If you have cool season grass, kill what you need to now. Do your overseed project around the beginning of Sept, and put down Prodiamine around the beginning of Nov.

    If you have warm season, somebody else will need to comment, but I believe you seed that in the Spring, not fall. I would kill what you need to now and put down Prodiamine 2X between now and again in Nov....re-seed in April...if you even need to.

    Lastly, if you feel yourself becoming a lawn nut, consider a full renovation so you know exactly what grasses you have and can react accordingly (and with less effort) in the future.

    Cheers.

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