# Grass or weed?



## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

Hey guys,

I'm trying to get my lawn undercontrol. I had a big dandelion problem and I put down some 2 4 d and it really worked well. Now my next issue is I'm not sure if I have multiple grass strains or if this is a weed. This broad grass grows much quicker and stands out compared to the rest of my regular thin grass. In my pictures you can kinda see what I'm talking about. So is this a grass? Or a weed? In either case I'd like all my lawn to be the same regular thin type grass. What can I do?


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Weedy grass. Probably has rhizomes and is Perennial, seeing that it's everywhere. These types are notoriously difficult to something about. What type of grass is it? Your guess is as good as mine. Usually the recommendation is using glyphosate on a "weed wick" or something with a long extension, to coat the tops of it, when it grows out as in your photo, to minimize the amount that hits the shorter, good grass. You can get partial control that way. But no one can walk through the treated area until it dries.

Otherwise, you'd have to kill the whole lawn and reseed it after a few treatments of spray glyphosate to kill everything (renovate). Now is a good time to start that process.


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

I'm going to be doing a round of trimec to try and knock out patches of wild strawberries. Do you think trimec would knock out these "weedy grass"?


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## johnklein25 (Apr 22, 2021)

I think you have nutsedge. Trimec is a broadleaf weed killer, containing 2-4-D and dicamba and nutsedge is not a weed it's supposed to kill.

There are a few different herbicide ingredients that can kill nutsedge, Ortho hose end nutsedge killer worked pretty well for me last season. Another product containing Sulfentrazone woudl work (this is what Ortho uses). You can use mesotrione if you already have it (used in Tenacity). Sedgehammer uses Halosulfuron-methyl 5%.

I have not tried Sedgehammer. I think either sedgehammer or something containing will likely work better/faster vs. Tenacity. Tenacity is also expensive, so if you don't have it, I don't recommend buying it. Good luck!


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

After you said nutsedge I Googled it and watched some videos. I do believe that is what it is! I don't have much for lawn care products. I'll look into getting some sedgehammer!!


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GGQ44A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_G76BT04EX296DYGQDWWR

Is this the correct stuff I would need? And how many scoops to make down 4 gallons?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

natesturf429 said:


> After you said nutsedge I Googled it and watched some videos. I do believe that is what it is! I don't have much for lawn care products. I'll look into getting some sedgehammer!!


You may have some nutsedge, but the weed you pulled and photographed is not nutsedge.

https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/weeds-in-turf/yellow-nutsedge/


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

natesturf429 said:


> I'm going to be doing a round of trimec to try and knock out patches of wild strawberries. Do you think trimec would knock out these "weedy grass"?


Nope. People have tried the broadleaf herbicides and tried Tenacity, and on most weedy grasses, they don't do much, or even anything at all in a lot of cases (even Triclopyr).

The exceptions that come to mind are Bentgrass, Nimblewill, Crabgrass, and some Paspalum species--there are grassy weed herbicides that will kill (with repeated apps) some of these. Unfortunately, yours looks like none of these.

Most likely glyphosate in one form of application or another is going to be the only practical answer. This is one of the major reasons why people don't want it to be deregistered. There really is nothing like it. I wouldn't waste time messing around with other herbicides. If you want, you can try and see if a year or so of frequent mowing at moderate height kills it, but you'll be in it for the long haul. The glyphosate method is faster, but you'll have collateral damage from some dripping off.


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## johnklein25 (Apr 22, 2021)

I am 90% confident that that is nutsedge, but since we're just looking at photos and there is some uncertainty you may want to go with the ortho nutsedge killer product since it'll kill a bigger variety of weeds than Sedghammer will. Sedgehammer will. If you want to go ahead with sedgehammer, you can buy a smaller amount, for less money from domyown
https://www.domyown.com/sedgehammer-herbicide-p-1348.html


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Before you decide it's a grass or a sedge, check the stems right above the ground...

Round? Grass.

Triangular? Sedge.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

natesturf429 said:


>


No offense intended @johnklein25 , but I am 1000% positive that is not nutsedge. I would guess quackgrass, but there isn't enough there to positively ID it. However, I will guarantee that it's not nutsedge, dallisgrass, crabgrass, johnsongrass, or a host of other grassy weeds.

This is nutsedge.
https://images.app.goo.gl/beCuf3TLZJLPUpFf6


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

Green said:


> natesturf429 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going to be doing a round of trimec to try and knock out patches of wild strawberries. Do you think trimec would knock out these "weedy grass"?
> ...


I'll ask some novice questions here.. but won't glyphosate kill my "good" grass?


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

Spammage said:


> natesturf429 said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...


I can take more / better pictures maybe?


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## johnklein25 (Apr 22, 2021)

Spammage could be right, it could be quack grass (I hope he's not). We need a better pic. This image of quack grass is from Purdue University I can't zoom in enough on your pick of the weed on the deck or picnic table to see the area where the leaf (or blade) is attached to the stem to see if it wraps around at the base. If it does, then it's quack grass, if it doesn't then maybe it's something else. This is important because if it's quack grass, then glyphosate is the only option (according to Purdue).

Full article; https://turf.purdue.edu/quackgrass/

Defining characteristic of quackgrass (other than yellow bill and webbed feet)


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

Here are some better pictures. The stems are round. Theirs of the blades taper off into a point. It doesn't seem to grow much more then when 6-8inches but it grows to that length quick! The first leaf does seem to wrap around the stem.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

natesturf429 said:


> I'll ask some novice questions here.. but won't glyphosate kill my "good" grass?


It absolutely will. But the less surface area you apply it to, the higher the chance of some of the good grass making it through. That's why they suggest wiping along the very tops of the tall, weedy grass, without making it sopping wet...so tons of it doesn't drip down onto everything else. There are no guarantees.


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## johnklein25 (Apr 22, 2021)

Here's an option you might like better than the glyphosate

"Management Option - This process consists of increased fertilizer treatments which will cause your lawn to grow faster and begin to choke out the quackgrass. However, additional nitrogen applications will require increased mowing and should only be done while your lawn is actively growing in the spring or fall. Following this process can take some time, possibly a complete growing cycle or year. Also, it should be noted that during the summer months, quackgrass does not tolerate the heat and may begin to look as if it is dying off, but don't be surprised if it returns in the fall."

Source https://turfgator.com/quackgrass/


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It is not nutsedge. I think it is annual ryegrass. Both ARG and Quack have clasping auricles, but o me quack has a wider leaf blade.


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## natesturf429 (Jul 18, 2021)

Some parts of my lawn have patches such as this. Other areas it's just blended in with the grass.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Dig some up, and see if it has rhizomes. If it does, it's almost definitely a perennial. Also, think back...has it been there for more than a year, and have you seen it in every season? If you're not sure, that's ok...work from whatever point you started noticing it, forward.

It's also possible you're dealing with 2 or 3 species of weedy grass, in different areas.

It's even possible that some of it is not really a weedy grass (or is now a semi-weedy grass due to management over time, but technically still a lawn species), which tried to spread (such as Tall Fescue in that center area in the last photo. See if the texture is different on that grass versus the stuff outside that area). Tall Fescue is stiff, a bit sharp, medium to dark green, and usually tends to stay green this time of year, except in a drought. It tends to get coarse and spread slowly in discreet patches if left alone. The center is a bit brown, possibly due to brown patch disease, or getting whacked with the mower blade. It kind of looks like Tall Fescue in that photo in the center, but I'd need closeup samples to tell.

The stuff near the edge looks like it may be a rhizomatous weedy perennial grass (such as Quackgrass, etc.)...notice how it's not a dense clump, but a little here, a little there, and has poor color and texture.


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