# Need help identifying grassy weed in newly seeded lawn



## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the site and could use some help. 3 weeks ago I seeded a new lawn with a mixture of 65% KBG, 15% fescue, 20% rye. I do have some germination taking place, but it is slow due to the type of grass planted and unusually high temperatures and lack of natural rain water since planting.

That said, I have an abundance of a grassy weed germinating throughout the lawn as well. I don't know what it is or where it came from, my guess is that the seeds were in the topsoil I had brought in but that doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is knowing what I'm dealing with and how to treat it so my new lawn isn't overtaken with this stuff and all my effort for naught.

I would greatly appreciate anyone's assistance with helping to identify what this weed is and suggestions on how to eradicate it. I will gladly take additional pictures as well if needed.

Many thanks,
Chris


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

Looks like crabgrass to me, but I'm pretty terrible at weed IDs. Especially grassy weeds.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

looks like dallis grass to me. It has the racing stripe on the leaves. Does it grow lots faster than everybody else and stick up first after mowing? Killing it is hard. Spot with fluazifop (Acclaim or Ornamec ) mixed with Sedgehammer and MSMA if you can get it. Or glyphosate. It grows and spreads FAST! a _Paspalum_ species. On my lot there were big sheaves of "ornamental" grass planted that were dry and dead and probably had been dead for several years. When I buzzed them off with a brush blade they started growing again immediately and they look just like dallis only much taller. Spray! Spray! Spray!!


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

gene_stl said:


> looks like dallis grass to me. It has the racing stripe on the leaves. Does it grow lots faster than eveybody else and stick up first after mowings?


Thanks for the reply. I haven't had to mow yet as the lawn is only 3 weeks old and the grass is only 1/2"-1" high. The weed(s) are growing faster and much higher than the grass..


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

I don't think Dallisgrass makes it as far north as NY state, but I could be mistaken. I was going to guess crabgrass. Is the vernation rolled with a prominent mid-rib?


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

Isn't crabgrass more boat shaped at the leaf tip?


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

jessehurlburt said:


> I don't think Dallisgrass makes it as far north as NY state, but I could be mistaken. I was going to guess crabgrass. Is the vernation rolled with a prominent mid-rib?


Thank you for the response, Jesse. If I had to describe the vernation, it is more flat than round and the blades/leaves peel away from the center kind of like a corn husk.. some of the vernations have a purple tinge towards the base that radiates up and fades out.

I've attached a couple close ups..


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

If it's not growing prostrate, I suspect it's foxtail weed.


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

appears to be hairy crabgrass. I could be mistaken. If it is, you'd want to use Quinclorac with a NIS or MSO.

Edit to add: Maybe this will help?
https://www.lawn-care-academy.com/grassy-weeds.html


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I'm not sure what it is, but since you are still in the germination phase, I only see three viable options at this time. 1) Let it be until the new grass mature, or 2) hand pull it or 3)round up and start over in August. I think you should hand pull it if it is not too much.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

If the vernation is flat it isn't dallis. Dalles has rolled vernation.


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

Thank you for the responses, guys. I've looked around a lot trying to ID what species this weed is with little luck.. I will pull them out as I see them.

A secondary and more proliferate issue I'm facing is that I'm now fairly sure that the straw I used to cover the lawn to keep moisture in must have had an abundance of seed in it..I'm almost certain that I have just as much wheat growing as I do grass, maybe more so.. At first I thought it was grass, but the blades were a bit on broad side..after doing some research and looking at pictures of what young wheat plants look like, I'm pretty certain I have wheat. I've run across some others that have had this problem as well and there doesn't seem there's much to be done but to mow when it's time, the wheat will die out and not come back next year.

Ayi yi yi... should have just hydroseeded and called it a day!


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## mikelask24 (May 23, 2018)

Hello fellow BLo neighbor!
I strangely have the same exact plant in my spring reno. Ive been hand pulling as off the shelf WBG and the like doesn't touch it. 20 Mins every afternoon with a weeding tool is making a big difference for me. A plus is your neighbors will think your even crazier when your doing it.  
Where did you get the top soil from? I ONLY have it in the areas I brought in "screened" topsoil to level before seeding. So, I can confirm it came from the topsoil. It seems where local nurseries are sourcing the topsoil, has this grassy weed seed everywhere.

All of the light green spears of crap is the same weed as you described; notice its localized. 

Please ignore the enormous fungal tragedy in the foreground lol. Its turning around. :?
Here I didn't spread topsoil. No nasty grasses (just some crabgrass)


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## chrisben (Sep 11, 2017)

I get something real similar where the plow tears up my hellstrip along the street.
Planning on hitting it with Quinclorac this week, I can let you know how it goes...


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

mikelask24 said:


> Hello fellow BLo neighbor!
> I strangely have the same exact plant in my spring reno. Ive been hand pulling as off the shelf WBG and the like doesn't touch it. 20 Mins every afternoon with a weeding tool is making a big difference for me. A plus is your neighbors will think your even crazier when your doing it.
> Where did you get the top soil from? I ONLY have it in the areas I brought in "screened" topsoil to level before seeding. So, I can confirm it came from the topsoil. It seems where local nurseries are sourcing the topsoil, has this grassy weed seed everywhere.
> 
> ...


Hi Mike!

Good to run into a fellow Buffalonian here! I got the vast majority of my topsoil from Northridge Nursery in West Seneca and one smaller load from Buffalo & Orchard Park topsoil. Where did you get your topsoil from?

I got a late start on my reno and mother nature has not been kind. The day after I seeded we had high winds which blew away a lot of the straw I laid followed by a HEAVY downpour later that day (~2" within 2 hours or so..) a bit less than a week later we had another heavy downpour, and then 2-3 days after that yet another fairly heavy rain. Since then, high heat and strong sun. Needless to say, conditions have not been ideal for growing grass. I've done my best to manage the situation, but results have been less than stellar to say the least.


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

chrisben said:


> I get something real similar where the plow tears up my hellstrip along the street.
> Planning on hitting it with Quinclorac this week, I can let you know how it goes...


Definitely, keep us posted!


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## mikelask24 (May 23, 2018)

cshults said:


> mikelask24 said:
> 
> 
> > Hello fellow BLo neighbor!
> ...


I had gotten the couple yards from Bison Nursery in Clarence. I suspect they are all sourced similarly during construction projects. 
I had seed down on May 18th and have been watering like crazy. It looks like your timeline was worst case scenario as it got super hot and dry after that monsoon we had. (which i remember because i was scared of washouts) My TTTF was already an inch or so by then. There are some dry spots, but the heat doesn't seem to bother the new lawn. I 'm watering every 2 days though.
I've started hand pulling with a hand tool i sharpened to a Vee. It works awesome as the roots on this devil grass is very small compared to the leaf size. Is your pest grass almost flat at the base where the leaves come together? If so, it is definitely what i have as well.
Keep us up to date of your progress or if Quinclorac works on these!


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

Yes, it's flat at the base, not circular. I'm sure you're right though, I imagine that all these nursery's may source from a just a few suppliers so chances are, our topsoil originated from the same/nearby location.

My timeline was definitely worst case scenario and I anticipate having to overseed in the fall to supplement the growth I do have as it just isn't coming up evenly. I fear a lot washed away during those heavy downpours soon after I seeded or the high heat cooked it.

This devil grass is awful stuff, I sure hope it's not perennial and definitely interested to hear how Chisben fare's with quinclorac.


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## mikelask24 (May 23, 2018)

cshults said:


> Yes, it's flat at the base, not circular. I'm sure you're right though, I imagine that all these nursery's may source from a just a few suppliers so chances are, our topsoil originated from the same/nearby location.
> 
> My timeline was definitely worst case scenario and I anticipate having to overseed in the fall to supplement the growth I do have as it just isn't coming up evenly. I fear a lot washed away during those heavy downpours soon after I seeded or the high heat cooked it.
> 
> This devil grass is awful stuff, I sure hope it's not perennial and definitely interested to hear how Chisben fare's with quinclorac.


You will probably be okay. Fall is a great time to fix weed issues and with your mix it should start to repair and fill itself in fairly well with good fertilization. Pictures? ....Just gotta get through this heat and drought stress  :evil:


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

mikelask24 said:


> cshults said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, it's flat at the base, not circular. I'm sure you're right though, I imagine that all these nursery's may source from a just a few suppliers so chances are, our topsoil originated from the same/nearby location.
> ...


Hi Mike, I wish I shared your optimism.. Here is a picture taken this morning. It's been nearly 4 weeks since planting and the majority of green in the lawn is from weeds and/or what I think is wheat from seed in the straw. There are tiny grass plants that have germinated in this mess, but they just seem to not be growing.


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## LawnNerd (Sep 2, 2017)

Barnyard Grass.

http://turfid.ncsu.edu/csPagedPdField.aspx?PlantID=ECHCG


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## chrisben (Sep 11, 2017)

hmm, Given that...
https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/plant-id/grasses/barnyardgrass
Post Emergence: Atrazine, Carfentrazone, Fenoxyprop-ethyl, Fluazifop, Mesotrione, Sethoxydim, Sulfentrazone

Looks like we're looking at Tenacity or sedgehammer, or "roundup for lawns" 
I think that Tenacity (Mesotrione)is the only one that's approved to ship to NY.


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

LawnNerd said:


> Barnyard Grass.
> 
> http://turfid.ncsu.edu/csPagedPdField.aspx?PlantID=ECHCG


That certainly sounds like an accurate description of what I have.. It's disappointing that I have so much of it because I did use Scott's starter fertilizer with tenacity in it so in theory that should have prevented this awful stuff, right? However, given the torrential downpour I had the day after seeding/fertilizing, much of it may have washed away..


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

chrisben said:


> hmm, Given that...
> https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/plant-id/grasses/barnyardgrass
> Post Emergence: Atrazine, Carfentrazone, Fenoxyprop-ethyl, Fluazifop, Mesotrione, Sethoxydim, Sulfentrazone
> 
> ...


I just happened to order some sedgehammer a few days ago as I have some yellow nutsedge in one small area that just won't go away. Will wait until fall to do any treatments and will probably slice seed the lawn at that time too if things don't shape up..


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

chrisben said:


> hmm, Given that...
> https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/plant-id/grasses/barnyardgrass
> Post Emergence: Atrazine, Carfentrazone, Fenoxyprop-ethyl, Fluazifop, Mesotrione, Sethoxydim, Sulfentrazone
> 
> ...


I just happened to order some sedgehammer a few days ago as I have some yellow nutsedge in one small area that just won't go away. Will wait until fall to do any weed treatments though and may also slit seed the yard at that time too if things don't shape up..


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

For the future, when you bring topsoil from so other place, it is best to follow it. That means water it like crazy to make any weed seed grow. Then hit it with round up and continue watering and repeat as new weeds pop up. This is done around one month prior to sending to kill all the weeds prior to placing your good seed (with tenacity).


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

g-man said:


> For the future, when you bring topsoil from so other place, it is best to follow it. That means water it like crazy to make any weed seed grow. Then hit it with round up and continue watering and repeat as new weeds pop up. This is done around one month prior to sending to kill all the weeds prior to placing your good seed (with tenacity).


Good advice.. I did that when I killed off the lawn to start with, I waited waited 5-6 weeks after spraying with glysophate and retreated areas that didn't die off to make sure none of the existing grasses came back but didn't think to do it with the topsoil..Will never make that mistake again..


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

I think I was right about my secondary problem of there being .wheat seeds in the straw I used as a mulch.. Looks like wheat to me, could I be mistaken?


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## mikelask24 (May 23, 2018)

cshults said:


> I think I was right about my secondary problem of there being .wheat seeds in the straw I used as a mulch.. Looks like wheat to me, could I be mistaken?


Again, It is the same Weed issue i'm still dealing with!
Grassy weeds suck. I fallowed for a month after initial glyposate app......and then threw topsoil down day of seeding. I didn't even think about it!>! Lesson learned g-man.
cshults - keep us posted if sedgehammer or other products worked. I'm still hand-pulling.


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## cshults (Jul 9, 2018)

cshults said:


> mikelask24 said:
> 
> 
> > cshults said:
> ...


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