Are there light green patches of grass in the thinner areas of your lawn? If so, you might have Annual Bluegrass. Don’t let this form of grass deceive you, it can be a perennial issue (coming back year after year). Annual Bluegrass is a low growing light green grass with many seed heads. This type of grass likes to germinate in the Fall and in the Spring. It usually takes advantage of the thin areas in your lawn, but can also invade healthy areas too. With that said, there are some things that you can do to prevent Bluegrass.
Prevention Is Key. Prevention is the first line of defense in winning the war on Bluegrass. Here are 2 ways to prevent it:
- Keep your lawn thick and healthy. Thick healthy grass competes against crabgrass. Proper mowing, watering during dry spells/drought, fertilizing and overseeding, slit seeding bare and thin areas all help create healthy grass.
- Apply a preemergent. This should be applied in the spring and in the fall. Doing this is very effective. The limitation is, excessive rain and even drought can cause failure.
Unfortunately, Annual Bluegrass may still thrive after prevention efforts. Weather conditions and patterns are uncontrollable. Excessive rains during the Spring can break down the protective barrier. The best solution to eliminate Bluegrass is to remove it entirely from the yard and replant with new seed. Treat Bluegrass while it is green and actively growing. Treat it with a product containing Glyphosate (like Roundup). Wait 7-10 days before reseeding after treatment. Please note, be extremely careful with any Glyphosate product, it will kill desirable grass as well.
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