# Quackgrass or annual raygrass?



## robido (Jun 25, 2020)

Hi!

I have a lot of these scattered over the lawn. The leaves stand out in a rye/fescue/*** mixed lawn as they are wider and taller.

Any idea what kind of grass is this?


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## cubsfan24 (May 4, 2020)

Pulled some of this today. Wondering as well.


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## robido (Jun 25, 2020)

Based on this PDF:
https://kingsagriseeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Penn-State-Grass-Identification-Matrix.pdf

It could be Annual Ryegrass / Italian Ryegrass. Apparently it's used as a cheap cover seed.

Does this mean it will die over the winter and I should not worry about it?

If that's the case, how did it find it's way into the lawn? Could it be part of the seeding I did in the spring (rye/fescue/kbg mix)? Will spring pre-emergent work to prevent it next season?


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## robido (Jun 25, 2020)

I got closer pictures, showing the parts that can help with ID:









Is it quackgrass, annual raygrass, or something else? I hope its not quackgrass, as a full reno could be my only option!


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## Jdotbuch (Aug 11, 2020)

What did you seed with in the spring? I saw this in my lawn after seeing last fall with Scott's contractors mix. It was super cheap at Walmart. I guess I got what I paid for. It has already died and the lawn is back to normal.


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## robido (Jun 25, 2020)

@Jdotbuch Glad to know that your lawn came back to normal! I believe my issue came from previous years seeds, which I probably randomly picked because I didn't know any better. From Canadian Tire but I really don't remember what I used.

This spring I used this:


This fall, I will use this, from a local company:
https://www.gloco.ca/fr/produits-residentiels/melange-de-semences-a-gazon/4000026-herbionik-germination-rapide/


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Yeah that's quackgrass. It should thin out over time with small nitrogen apps. Or paint them with gly.


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## robido (Jun 25, 2020)

@ABC123 that's perfect thanks for the tip, I'll try the extra nitrogen!

Assuming I have already a lawn company applying maintenance fertilizers for me, would an application of spring fertilizer like this one work?
https://www.emerycentrejardin.ca/produit/gazon-debut-du-printemps-20-0-8-9kg/

Maybe I can go pure nitrogen with something like that instead?
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/pro-mix-organic-blood-meal-plantboost-8-0-0/6000200775339

If I apply this, do you think following the label application rates be too much? Maybe I should spread it out over multiple months?


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

I could be mistaken but I think this may be annual ryegrass based on the shiny backside and darker green. Quackgrass is a paler shade of green without the shiny side. Both have clasping auricles. Again, I could be wrong, but I had both in my lawn at one point and that is how I remember it..


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## robido (Jun 25, 2020)

Thanks. Maybe I should try both strategies together: Preemergent, in case it's annual raygrass, and nigrogen, for quackgrass 

I'll see what comes out after my aggressive overseeding.


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