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Have I created a weed monster?

Michael Pinchot

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Last fall I aerated and reseeded my fescue lawn. When I finished, I went to Home Depot and bought what I assumed was straw from a truck trailer parked in their lot. Now I have noticed that everywhere I put down the straw, I have these huge shoots that look like crabgrass on steroids shooting up. They are exactly the same shoots that were growing out of the extra straw bale I had left on the outside of the house. These bales were chock full of seeds when I put them down, but I assumed that was normal since everyone advised me of this process. These things grow three times quicker than the lawn and I am hoping I did not make things worse. Any ideas on a plan of attack?

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Comments (5)

owlnsr
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yes, you could have gotten weeds from the straw you placed. If that's the case, it will probably die off from your regular mowing cycle. You could have also exposed weeds during the aeration process. Weeds will ways be part of any kind of lawn seeding project.

However, weeds are easy to deal with. It's the grassy weeds that are included in the "other crop" category on the grass seed label that are the real menace.

What kind of fescue did you use? Orchardgrass is a common contaminant in tall fescue seed (ask me how I know) ---- especially in the cheap big box store fescue seed like Kentucky 31. Orchardgrass has the qualities that you described.
dchall_san_antonio
8 years ago
You may have gotten hay instead of straw.

There are a few regions of the country where straw is used on new seed. You cannot tell anyone there that they don't need the straw but they don't. What works better than straw is to roll down the seed after applying. Then water. It does not need to be covered at all.
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User
8 years ago
I had to cover the seed last year because I do not have an irrigation system so I need the buffer. Also, my lawn is on a slope and the water tends to erode the soil and wash the seed down hill. I used the grass clippings from scalping the lawn to cover the seed, worked great.
newtolawncare Scranton 6a
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
J4c11 - that sounds like an organic solution?

(I couldn't resist )
User
8 years ago
Haha yes indeed

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