Looks like Poa Trivialis (AKA roughstalk bluegrass) to me. It spreads by above-ground stolons. There is no selective herbicide available to kill it. Roundup (or any generic glyphosate) is the only way to get rid of it. You may need to spray a couple of inches outside of the clumps to get all of the stolons, followed by reseeding in the fall.

Yep Poa Trivialis ....After Round up, you can get some bluegrass sod and plant some plugs in the dead spots for faster coverage.

I should have mentioned that my lawn is basically turf type tall fescue. We had a pool built 4+ years ago and the pool company had to make a large path through the front yard to get all the equipment to the back. After they were done with the job they seeded, and I'm sure the seed they used must have had Poa. It seems to have gotten worse each year. And the Poa is in and around where the path was.

So, the only way is Roundup? If so, should I Roundup it now so that it does not spread further, or do you think I am OK to wait til the late summer/early fall when I do my yearly overseeding? I have been using Titan RX the last couple years and like it.

Thanks very much for the replies from both of you.

OMG Bob !!!

I was looking for a site like this to help me identify the EXACT same ugly stuff growing in MY lawn, also in Maryland ! Characteristics exactly the same ! Growth and spreading also the same ! Looks like I'll be "Rounding Up" this crap too, like you. I do have a question for you tho. Please tell me more about Titan RX. Where do you get it? And where exactly in Maryland do you live? I'm in Columbia. Is Titan RX something that spreads using rhizoms? I've had bad experience in the past with such grasses because when I want to detach in the fall before reseeding, the rake seems to bring up the long rhizoms and the grass plants that have grown from those rhizoms come up with it creating a long viney mess. What has been your experience with Titan? Anything like that?

And thanks to denbigh97 for all the great info !!

Hello Greenjean2,

You can find more about TitanRX here.

https://titanfescue.com/products/titanRx/product_titanRx.html

Wanted to check this out primarily to see if the grass growth might fill in bare spots over time, It is hard to tell, but I think it has done fairly well with that.

And, you can get here. www.seedworldusa.com

I do core aeration with a tow behind on my John Deere riding mower when overseeding, but really have not noticed what you have described. I have done de-thatching in the past with a tow behind, but have not done that the past couple years. I am in upper Montgomery county. I may forego overseeding this year in the fall and instead do a pre-emergent.

Yeah, this Poa triv is a bummer, and from what I am reading and viewing it is going to be a difficult task to try to get rid of, but I am going to try. Going to have to live with a lot of bare spots this year looks like.

Agree about the timely and good info from the forum members.

Thanks

Have you guys heard of Newsome Seeds (newsomeseed.com)? They are based in Fulton, MD and there is also a satellite warehouse in Gaithersburg. They sell blue tag certified seeds (0.0% weeds and 0.0% other crop) that are NTEP-ranked (National Turfgrass Evaluation Program) for the DC area. VA Tech is a participant in NTEP for the VA region. I believe they can do personalized seed mixtures too.

denbigh97: As a matter of fact yes ! I'm pretty close to them and have purchased seeds and fertilizers from them numerous times. Once upon a time, I was able to afford a 50lb bag of Thermal Blue which is the most lovely KBG, but it's now up into the $300 range, so out of my price range. It was in my back yard and most beautiful, but has now mostly faded away in the midst of Triv, Annua, and various other weeds. I live next to a wooded area, so I suspect I'm getting crud from there. Plus, my neighbors lawns are not the best....I suppose you know that story....

The spreading fescue I was talking about above, Titanium I think, was what I hated. I got it from Newsome. Don't know if it was my soil in that spot, but it seemed to spread ABOVE the soil and if you took a rake to it, it was like combing out a comb-over on a bald guy (no offense), A real pain to deal with. I brought a sample back to Newsome and the guy at the counter thought it was Bermuda, or some other warm season creeper. At least after I complained, they gave me another 50 lb bag of another clumping TTF, I don't recall the name. It was a few years ago.

I never asked for a personalized seed mixture. They seem to cater mostly to professional greens keepers, so someone like me, little old homeowner, with single-bag purchases, doesn't get much attention. And, besides, I wouldn't have a clue what mixture to ask for ! I just ask for what's best for tall fescue in our area. And hope for the best.

Greenjean2: I know how tough it can be to maintain a nice lawn when the neighbors don’t share the same interest. I am currently battling a poa triv invasion from my neighbor’s lawn.

The top ranked KBG cultivars are getting pricey, however you don’t need much to repair an existing lawn. You can buy a couple of pounds and grow the KBG in pots. Once they have matured, drop the pots in the lawn and let the KBG spread. I’m looking to buy 3lbs of Bewitched KBG from Preferred Seeds, which should last me a couple of years! Seedsuperstore is another reputable (but expensive) online retailer that sells blue tag seeds in small quantities.

Update: I have sprayed Roundup in many many areas of both my front and back yard in the last month. I now have circles of dead, or hopefully dying, Poa triv in the yard. Since I did do a pre-emergent in the spring, overseeding now is not an option.

I do plan to overseed in the fall to try to fill in those areas. My question is "What do I do with those dead grass areas now?" Do I just leave as is and then mow really close when I plan to overseed? Do I somehow try to dig out those areas? I want to proceed with the best option so that the Poa is removed and does not come back.

Also, from what I have seen over the last month or so is that this stuff spreads without warning. I find it in areas where there is no obvious spreading too, it just shows up in a new area. I am contemplating trying to keep up with spot spraying the triv and then doing a complete Roundup of my front yard closer to overseeding time. What are your thoughts on this?

I also noticed last night during mowing that I have a circle of triv now between me and my neighbors yard. Now I have the awkward task of asking the neighbor if I can Roundup this area or try to dig it out.

Thanks

Tenacity would have at least damaged that going into summer (which probably would have taken it out) without damaging surrounding northern lawn. You can order it online or buy it, nowadays, at a lot of retailers.

It works on P. annua as well, although not as effectively, and I use it to control a lot of other difficult weeds, like globe thistle, that even laugh at Round Up.

I confess to...not asking...before wielding the Tenacity over the line a bit...

I don't believe Tenacity works on Triv though