grass - Knowledgebase Question

channahon, Il
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Question by valya
April 21, 2009
we have areas in our lawn where the grass grows flat along the surface of the soil,then stands up.It has a very shallow root system. You can pull it up like a rug. I've been told it is called bent grass and the only way to get rid of it is to round up and start over.Is this true or is there other solution. We don't know where it came from.We have always overseeded with quality seed.HELP ! Val


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Answer from NGA
April 21, 2009
It does sound like bentgrass and it can appear for no reason at all. Usually the seed blows into your lawn or birds drop seeds and that's how it gets started in the lawn. There is no easy solution because there are no herbicides available that will kill the bentgrass without also killing your lawn. The first step is to spot-treat each individual patch of bentgrass with a non-selective herbicide such as Round Up or Kleen Up, or one of the fatty acid type products. Remember, don?t spray the grass you want to keep. If it is sprayed, it will die also. Don?t spray trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials or vegetables either - read the label. The herbicide will take a week or two (depending on the time of year it is applied) to kill the grass. When you are removing bent, you may have to make a second application of non-selective herbicide, or you may want to excavate around the treated areas in order to reduce the seed bank. Fill in areas with seed or sod. Best wishes with your lawn!

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