Help Identifying Grass Types & Seed Heads

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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sam1220
Posts: 20
Joined: May 17th, 2020, 6:03 am
Location: Southeastern PA
Grass Type: NoMix
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Help Identifying Grass Types & Seed Heads

Post by sam1220 » May 29th, 2020, 4:41 pm

Hello fellow turf fanatics..

I need some real help identifying different grass types in my lawn, as well as the seed heads I see popping up all over the place. I moved into this home about 2 years ago and have been doing a decent job of keeping it alive, but not much else. I'm ready to step up the game. I've ordered and received soil tests from Logan Labs for the front and back, but I'd really like to know some basics about the turf types I have first.

I'm in SE PA, about 20 miles outside of Philly. 7000 sq ft in the front, 7000 sq ft in the rear yard. Most of the front is under lots of shade with 3 big trees, but the rear yard gets 100% sun. Not a tree in sight and perfect southern exposure. The major problem is that 80% of the turf is what I would call "hair like." It's a really fine bladed grass that seems to grow like crazy. It's on the hilly portion of the rear lawn, too, and it bogs the mower down when I only cut once a week. What makes matters worse is that it dies in the winter and then the dead grass just lays in the turf.

Here is what it looks like from an overall view -- on the left is the "good" thick grass, on the right is the hair-like stuff.

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In the rest of the lawn I have what I consider "good" grass. The blades are nice and wide, think, and the color is good. It's a breeze to cut and it just looks good. I want more of this, whatever it is. I have to get rid of all this hair-like grass. Here you can see the line where the "good" grass meets the hair-like grass. What are these two types?? Grass I like is on the left, hair-like stuff on the right.

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Finally, over the last week or 2 I've gotten thousands of these seed pods. I know I have a Poa infestation, but are these seed pods from that or from "good" grass?

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Any help with identifying these is tremendously appreciated!
Thanks all.

TimmyG
Posts: 2244
Joined: May 15th, 2012, 6:04 pm
Location: Dracut, MA
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Experienced

Re: Help Identifying Grass Types & Seed Heads

Post by TimmyG » May 29th, 2020, 10:48 pm

Welcome!

Did you see KBG seed heads vs Poa Annua seed heads?

The seed heads (inflorescences) in your last picture do appear more open like those of Poa annua, but their even distribution suggests Poa pratensis. Verify by looking at the ligule as suggested in that yearly reminder post by turf_toes.

sam1220
Posts: 20
Joined: May 17th, 2020, 6:03 am
Location: Southeastern PA
Grass Type: NoMix
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Help Identifying Grass Types & Seed Heads

Post by sam1220 » May 31st, 2020, 9:26 am

Thanks, Timmy.

That helped a lot, so I pulled a bunch out and looked at them. From what I can tell it's KBG. Based on what I can tell so far then, the wide blades are Tall Fescue and there's obviously a lot of KBG in there, too. Since there's probably RG in there, too, I guess I'm in the same boat as you - A NoMix.

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