# What has taken over this area of my lawn?



## socallawn (Apr 3, 2021)

I'm in Southern California and was told I have a Marathon grass lawn (type of fescue popular in the area). This particular section has been overrun by a bad grass(?) or weed? What is this exactly, and how should I go about correcting it? Is this a dethatch, aerate and overseed, or a go nuclear and start over or just replace with turf?





In an adjacent area, I've starting to see a lot of these other things that have very small flowers that grow at the top. What's this and the cause and cure? It seems to be in places where rabbits are damaging the lawn which is an entirely different issue. Been trying find any gaps in perimeter fence that they're getting thru. I'm turning into Elmer Fudd. Lol. But that's another story.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

The top pictures look like a warm season grass type. Bottom pictures look like chickweed possibly? The bottom weed should be relatively easy to get rid of. The grassy weed not so much.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@socallawn I cant I'd the top one. I think it is zoysia otherwise it is a hybrid Bermuda. I'm moving this to the weed id folder so the warm season guys could Id it.


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

Bottom pic looks like corn speedwell.


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## socallawn (Apr 3, 2021)

It's pretty crunchy underfoot so I'm guessing it needs to be dethatched given the zoysia has gotten thick over the years and I've been having the discus cut as high as possible but the zoysia is winning out. If I want the fescue to come back what can you do to weaken or suppress the zoysia so the fescue can come back? It looks like some other parts of my yard with fescue I have some tiny bits of zoysia trying to set in that if want to keep out so need a tip for that too. For the area in the first pic here, will dethatching now while temps haven't gotten too hot yet (still 70s or less) and seems like the zoysia is still dormant to help the fescue not be so smothered by the zoysia and keep cutting tall? Short of resodding for the immediate gratification, I understand this could be a few seasons in the making. If I just start cutting it short (less than an inch) to promote the zoysia, I would assume it would thrive then, but I'm left with it being dormant and brown in the winter/spring months? Decisions decisions...


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@socallawn grass is almost certainly Kikuyu.


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## socallawn (Apr 3, 2021)

Oh no, not Kikuyu... if i want to get rid of it, then it may be the nuclear option, no? Any way to suppress the Kikuyu so the fescue can come back? For other sections of my lawn that are showing spots of kikuyu, best way to treat it?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@socallawn Drive XLR8 claims to kill Kikuyu while being safe for Fescue. I've never tried it, but it might be worth looking into.


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## socallawn (Apr 3, 2021)

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.


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