# What is this winter grass overtaking my dormant bermuda?



## txgrassy (Mar 10, 2019)

Winter in north texas but not cold at all. Bermuda is dormant but have this new green grass growing for the first time in my front yard - very short blade, about 1 inch, does not grow tall but is very dense. What is it? Do i need to worry about it? how do i get rid of it? pics attached
Thanks


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## The Anti-Rebel (Feb 16, 2019)

most likely it's annual bluegrass.


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## Benz1302 (Jul 27, 2019)

Should we get rid of the blue grass? If so, what is safe to use on dormant Bermuda in winter?


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

I think it's more likely to be Poa Trivialis (rough Bluegrass) rather than annual bluegrass. It's often used for overseeding in the Winter. I say work with it...it'll go dormant when the temps warm up, and if the warm season is very long and dry, it may die during extended dormancy. But if it gives you some green in the off-season, why kill it? Up here in the North, it's very similar to our desired cool-season grasses, and thus is a big problem, since almost all herbicides that kill it also kill or hurt our good grass. Roundup is pretty much our only option.

If you really want to kill it, and it ends up being Triv, Certainty will kill it, but I don't if know if you can use that on dormant Bermuda. It's also a finicky herbicide to use.

Can't totally tell from the photos if it is, or isn't, though.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Green said:


> I think it's more likely to be Poa Trivialis (rough Bluegrass) rather than annual bluegrass. It's often used for overseeding in the Winter. I say work with it...it'll go dormant when the temps warm up, and if the warm season is very long and dry, it may die during extended dormancy. But if it gives you some green in the off-season, why kill it? Up here in the North, it's very similar to our desired cool-season grasses, and thus is a big problem, since almost all herbicides that kill it also kill or hurt our good grass. Roundup is pretty much our only option.
> 
> If you really want to kill it, and it ends up being Triv, Certainty will kill it, but I don't if know if you can use that on dormant Bermuda. It's also a finicky herbicide to use.
> 
> Can't totally tell from the photos if it is, or isn't, though.


Vvveeerrryyy doubtful here in N Texas. Poa Annua is very strong this year too due to the very mild winter.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

If it's Poa annua rather than Triv, the best practice would be to control the seeds via a pre-emergent barrier kept up as much as possible, but especially, applied prior to germination. Poa Trivialis on the other hand, cannot be controlled effectively by seed inhibition once it's established, as it can go dormant (but also may die during dormancy if that goes on long enough as it's a water hog).


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## cldrunner (May 14, 2019)

txgrassy said:


> Winter in north texas but not cold at all. Bermuda is dormant but have this new green grass growing for the first time in my front yard - very short blade, about 1 inch, does not grow tall but is very dense. What is it? Do i need to worry about it? how do i get rid of it? pics attached
> Thanks


@txgrassy ,

I live 30 mile east of you. I have a few suggestions. I noticed that you have a lawn tractor. My first suggestion is to buy a tow behind sprayer. with a 12k ft lawn I would get a 15-20 gallon tank with a boom. Second, I would buy prodiamine and simazine. These are very cheap if you can apply in the tow behind sprayer. The pictures are Poa Annua. You have to spray prodiamine in Sept or Oct to prevent it from germinating and coming out at this time. Simazine in late Oct or early Nov after your bermuda has gone dormant will give you an extra bonus to keep the Poa from germinating. If used two to three times a year these chemicals will last you 5+ years. Very cheap. Yor next problem is going to be crabgrass and summer weeds. You need to get a pre-emergent application down NOW.

If you don't go with the above route go get pre-emergent from Lowes or Home Depot and spread out with your spreader. Good luck!!

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/tow%20behind%20sprayer

https://www.amazon.com/Prodiamine-Generic-Barricade-5lbs-ali8056/dp/B004GTQBEK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=prodiamine&qid=1580361902&sr=8-1

https://www.solutionsstores.com/simazine-4l

http://www.greencastonline.com/tools/pestoutlooks.aspx

You can kill it with Glyphosate. It is only safe if the bermuda is dormant. I personally would not be spraying now because the bermuda grass is already coming out of dormancy in our area. Very unusual for our area but it has been warm.


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