Need help with over seeding a weedy/patchy lawn in L.A. (SFV)
HU-349666461
4 years ago
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Help Needed for Lawn Weed Identification
Comments (12)The KBG probably won't choke out the fescue, but it will fill in bare spots. However, KBG spreads via rhizomes rather than stolons. Rhizomes should be below ground. You may want to take some of the weedy grass (including some roots) to your extension service to your extension service to get an accurate ID. I've seen blades of grass from the same plant get identified as two different grasses from pictures. It can be very difficult to ID grass from pictures. Many grass seed mixes have fescue and KBG in them. I think some types of fescue may mix better with KBG, but K31 grows much faster and has much wider blades, so I think a mixture of KBG and K31 fescue tends to look somewhat patchy. Where in WA are you? You may be better off seeding in the fall. It may not matter as much if you're in the Seattle area, since it rains so often there, but if you're inland where it gets hot and dry in the summer, a fall seeding will give the grass more time to establish before the hot dry weather hits....See More'Ecology Lawn' as an alternative?
Comments (17)I am also in Colorado, so I know what kind of climate and soil you are likely dealing with. I am considering adding some more species to my bluegrass yard myself. My interest is keeping my lawn as green as possible while minimizing water and fertilizer use, while also increasing the carbon sequestering potential of my yard. I am also interested in creating better habitat and providing food for native pollinators and honeybees. However, I live in a neighborhood with a somewhat conservative HOA and I need whatever I do not to be too dramatic. I looked at Fluer de Lawn and it seems pretty, but my HOA would not be having it. I think I'm going to create my own blend. I'm looking at micro clover and maybe chamomile for the front yard, and I might go a little more wild with the back and do some larger clovers and maybe ornamental or wild strawberry as well. I'm also going to blend in tall fescue. Tall fescue is the deepest rooting cool season grass that grows here in Colorado, perhaps the deepest rooting cool season grass period, with a root system that grows up to 2 feet deep. This enables it to be very drought resistant and needs very little water, but it maintains a very nice, dark green color. Next to bluegrass it looks kind of like quack grass because of it's thick blade, but a lawn solely of tall fescue is very nice. I don't know what part of the state you are in, but the turf plots at Front Range Community College in Westminster have a nice (though horribly overwatered) tall fescue plot. Anyway, tall fescue, micro clover, and chamomile is my plan, but if you don't have to worry about an HOA, I would consider buffalo grass instead of tall fescue. It's a warm season grass so it will be brown half the year, but I think it's very pretty in season, and honestly don't mind the brown look. My HOA just wouldn't have it. Blue Gramma is also a very nice warm season grass, it has a very attractive flower/seed head. Both require very little water or mowing, and would look great in a blend with othe dicots like clover or chamomile. Dog Tuff is a cool choice too, but it is very aggressive, basically like Bermuda grass, so you probably don't want that around your flower beds. I see now I'm like seven years late in answering this question, lol. Your lawn is probably done by now. How is it?...See MoreI need help with my lawn. PLEASE HELP!
Comments (4)Agree. How much do you love that sycamore? Does it add value to the house or did it overgrow the lot and become an eyesore? There are three kinds of plant killers. The Weed-b-Gon and Weed-b-Gon Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer target broadleaf plants like clover, dandelions, thistle, and even shrubs and trees. It only works when you spray it on the leaves of the target plants. These herbicides leave grassy plants alone. Another type of plant killer is like Grass-b-Gon. It kills grassy plants in the garden and leaves the broad leaf plants alone. Another type of plant killer is RoundUp. It kills all living plants. There are some plants that need special treatment with one or more of these herbicides. We can't know if you have those without pictures. Adding pictures is pretty simple with the tools in the posting window. Click the Photo button and attach the picture. The hardest part is getting the picture onto your computer from your camera or phone. I use Dropbox. If you want grass in the back yard you could use the WBG as Becky mentioned. Keep in mind that plants drop seeds so repeated applications will be needed if the old seeds germinate and take root. What I would do in the back is mow it down, spray WBG, and hope for the best until next fall. Fall really is the best time to seed cool weather grass. If you take care of a weedy lawn like it was grass, it will at least look decent until you can fix it. That's what I'm doing with my new house. I have the kind of grass that spreads about 10 - 15 feet every year, so I'm patiently nursing that process along. In the mean time I love my weeds for keeping the dirt out of the house. As Becky said you are basically on the wrong track for seeding a new lawn. You don't need to aerate or bring in topsoil. The topsoil you have likely needs work. Any topsoil you bring in will need work, too, so you may as well save yourself the extra time, money, and effort and just fix the soil you have. I suspect it is pretty good, though. As long as you have lots of roots in the ground, that's a big step toward good soil. And a diverse crop of weeds does that quite well....See MoreRookie Needs Help with Western WA/PNW Lawn
Comments (42)4/22/2017 Update It's been more than a month since I started. Mid-March this is what I did to kick start my lawn rehabilitation project: dethatched aerated pulled a few weeds out overseeded with a rye/fescue mix put down 1/4-1/3" of top dressing put down alfalfa meal Front Lawn Color is improving. The lawn is greening up at different rates, almost following the strips of sod that were laid down when the lawn was put down last year. Still patchy in in areas, certainly more than the backyard. Lawn lacks that thick, healthy look. Not sure if the seed I bought was good, if I have not waited long enough or if the birds ate it all. Plenty of rain the last 30 days. Lawn seems to be draining better and is not as boggy. Very few weeds, I pulled maybe 2-3 in this area. White flecks in the pictures are cherry blossom petals. This is probably the best part of the front lawn. Really greened-up well and is very thick and healthy looking. You can see how different strips of original sod are greening at different rates. Backyard Color has improved here too, better than front yard. Still patchy in an area that is typically shady. Seed seemed to take better here and I see lots of new grass sprouting up. Drainage seems to have improved but that's only after 1 month of observation. More weeds in this area, pulled perhaps 10-15 by hand. Questions Aside from cutting and weeding, anything I should be doing at this time? The patchy areas - reseed those or just be more patient?...See More
Tom
4 years ago
The Average Lawn Guy
4 years agoTom
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoThe Average Lawn Guy
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
dchall_san_antonio
4 years agoTom
4 years ago
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