# Light green patches



## PALawnGuy5 (Apr 19, 2021)

Hello all. I bought a house 2 years ago and have quickly become addicted to my lawn, trying to make it the best in the neighborhood. 2 years ago i had no idea how to manage the yard so i had an outside company aerate and overseed with tall fescue but was concerned about a few spots in the backyard that peeled up easily (bentgrass or poa triv, i was a newbie and didn't know back then). Last year i overseeded myself after reading a lot on here about contaminated seed from box stores and some lawn companies. My yard is mainly fescue with maybe a little KBR/PRG mixed in. The seed i used was a mix of different cultivars of TTTF.

This year, i have a lot of light green patches popping up in the front yard, completely separate from where i have seen issues before. It looks terrible. Is this young grass from overseeding? Or is this the dreaded Poa Triv? I did rake my yard before overseeding last year and am now concerned that i may have stirred up dormant Poa. The pH of my yard is a little high at 7.2, so i do plan to throw something down to help that, but it has always been a universal dark green color.


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## VALawnNoob (Jun 9, 2020)

subscribed as i have the same problem. can you post 2 things?

1. Ligule of the plant
2. the grass seed label

lastly, did you aerate again last year when you overseeded yourself?


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## PALawnGuy5 (Apr 19, 2021)

The stem is flat so it's almost impossible to pull it down for a good look at the ligule. Here's a closeup.



I did not aerate again last year. I raked up some dead grass for better seed to soil contact. I put down some peat moss in a few sections that had limited grass coverage to keep the seeds damp.

I pulled through stem back for a better look. Not the best picture.


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## Chris1 (Apr 22, 2020)

I have the same issue in the backyard. I sent an email to turf expert, will let you know when I uncover the specific vile weed. My plan is to destroy it one way or another and over seed with elite Rye


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## Belgianbillie (Apr 3, 2018)

Thats poa T i am pretty sure. I have it all over. Check later in the year if it gets a bigger membrane.


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## PALawnGuy5 (Apr 19, 2021)

I've been watching these lime green patches throughout spring, especially as the hot temps and low rain has scorched the lawn. Many of them started producing seed heads this past week, which Triv doesn't usually do when regularly mowed. I'm think those might be annua and/or something else with the triv just in the few spots i had last year (currently no seed heads, just stringy mats of thin grass).

Pictures of some pulled today.


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## 2L8 (Mar 18, 2019)

I'm also quite sure that it is Poa trivialis, forming the light green spots in your lawn. Your description and pictures show what I experienced with Triv the last years. ID Poa tivialis: shallow roots (easy to pull out, except when a bigger plant), light yellowish green, blades shiny on the lower side (older plants sometimes duller), gradually pointed, ligule usually long, but sometimes short. Seed heads are also forming here, now. I think it depends on the age or size of the plant if it produces seed heads or not. When trampled down they are not mowed.


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## PALawnGuy5 (Apr 19, 2021)

I've watched the yard all year to see the lime green patches progress. I tore a few up by hand to get better looks. Here's the newest pics.

These particular patches have turned yellow/brown with the heat and lack of rain. I have some larger matted patches i can rip up by hand and expose large sections of just dirt. In other areas, it's sprinkled within good turf grass, but the stringy angel hair like grass blades pull out super easy amongst the fescue. Multiple blades usually come out together. I've seen picture of triv and bentgrass look the same. I still think it's triv from bad quality seed and spread from core aeration but wanted to confirm. I did get tenacity and glyphosate read for fall/spring.


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