[JackJ59]

New house last year, and the front was dug up to replace the septic tanks. They threw something out, but not sure what. Filled in sparingly, and I couldn't get them out to do better as the seller was who had paid him.

I had weeds in front and back, so used Speedzone to kill. Thought I had fescue and it wouldn't harm it (supposed to only be bad for broad leaf grass, and I didn't think mine was). Well, it did "kill" it. The weeds, too, though now they're coming back. The good news: so is some grass.
My questions are:
- What grass(es) do I have?
- Do they spread, so that what hasn't come back may fill in?
- If it won't fill in, can I overseed? I tried last fall, with KBG, but it didn't take. Likely did it too late in the season.
- Should I be raking up the dead grass? We were wondering if where it isn't filled in might be getting hampered by the dead grass. I can get a bunch up, but am I just creating a more fertile environment for weeds, or is it the thing to do?
- What should I do about the weeds; hand pulled some, but it's a huge job, as they're tiny stems/roots. I didn't get a close-up of some weeds in front, but they had tiny blue flowers in their center, if that helps. May be the same as the others, just flowering sooner.

Hopefully, the photo names will show. If not, the first several are of the backyard, from overview to closer in on the grasses and weeds. Then an overview of the front, with 2 shots of the grass as the septic installers laid it - no herbicide done, just thin - and then some of where I did spray the Speedzone and the weeds that didn't get killed (permanently).

TIA!

 

[JackJ59]

Here are 3 more: First? is another one of the backyard where some grass is coming back in; will more come in? Can it spread, or do I need to, and can I, overseed?

Other two are overview and close-up along the road, where I presumed it was tall fescue, and always mowed it long, didn't care much about the look. Except, as you see, there were a LOT of weeds (clover? - small 3-leaf clover type weed) that I killed last year, along with the grass. Thoughts on what it is, and what I should do?
Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Richard Slater]

Welcome to TLF!

The veins suggest it might be Ryegrass, it's possible the contractors used Annual Ryegrass as it's cheap and quick to establish - that happens over here in the UK quite a bit.

A couple of additional questions:

1. Have you had a soil test done, if not get one done and post up the results look after the soil and the soil will look after your grass.
2. Given the profusion of weeds and the debatable provenance of seeds would you be comfortable killing the lawn and start over? From the pictures I would say you have less than 50% good turf, so might be your best bet.

 

[JackJ59]

Thanks for the feedback! I haven't gotten a soil test yet; will check into that. And I should have done separate posts for each part of my yard, as I'm sure this gets confusing.

So as to avoid "burying the lead", since I can be a bit long-winded, let me lead with this:
I'm thinking I need to oversee, so my issue is how to best go about that. Last year I didn't till much, watering in the seed and figured it was covered by the dead grass. I had read that it could be sufficient. I was going to create a "roller", with a piece of PVC filled with water But lost that ambition. Maybe I'll try that again to get good contact with the soil.

Oh yeah, should we be raking up the dead grass? Is that having a deterrent effect on any grass that still has a chance of coming up where I killed a lot of it last year? Should I do that - and till - before laying down new seed?

Is there a consensus on using straw/hay/soil to cover? I have a bag of KBG that I never got put down last year, so figure I'll try now. I used the old straw/hay from the septic company in the fall, but seed didn't take, but that was likely because it was too late in the season. I know Spring isn't ideal for seeding, but...

As for the less important grass id'ing...
As the front yard (septic area) grass has come back (as well as it was), I'm thinking it's Perennial Ryegrass, not Annual. Along with assorted other weed seed, likely. I'm quite certain they went with cheap and quick growing. Unfortunately, killing and re-starting isn't an option right now, as wife wants a "decent enough" lawn soon. Perhaps come fall.

Do the other grasses in backyard (first photos I had posted) look to be fine fescue, or also Perennial Rye? As fine fescue doesn't do well in sun, I'm thinking it must be perennial rye, though the blades sees so thin? I'll post 3 more of new pics of that. Though I guess it doesn't matter, as neither rye nor fescue will spread. I had been concerned with combining different types, but I guess that's not an issue, and is the purpose of seed blends.

Here are the 3 other photos of back, to see if it might be fine fescue (or tall?) as opposed to rye.

 

[JackJ59]

Ok, last ones These are from the frontyard, the original grass that the septic guys didn't put in. Funny, but "live" it looks a lot finer, and so I was thinking fine fescue. But again, it's sunny, so that doesn't make sense. So I guess perennial rye? Anyway, in case it helps (and matters). Likely doesn't, as I'll need to overseed either way.

 

[JackJ59]

Sorry, NOW last one: re: protecting the seed I lay down, I have birds and rabbits in the backyard.

 

[JackJ59]

Yeah, I've lost all credibility when it comes to "last posts".

First one is the "clover" or whatever I tried to kill off with Speedzone last year that started this odyssey. Yeah, it's back. What is it? What should I use? Do so, I presume, before re-seeding?

Last two of side yard, which I couldn't care less about, but wife.... Again, this looks like thin blades?! Still, is it perennial ryegrass? And if so, I guess till it up and fill it in. If Fine Fescue, does it do better in some sun than I've been lead to believe?

 

[glenmonte]

Welcome. If it were my lawn, I'd spend the summer building the soil- organic fertilizers, compost, topsoil where bare. After doing the work, they probably just filled the area and didn't replace the topsoil. That's no good for sustaining grass. It was probably more annual grasses in their mix too- they aren't there to make a nice lawn. After you build the soil during the season, totally renovate the bad parts. You'll be wasting time (seasons) and resources doing otherwise. Overseeding is for a thin lawn, not a dead/non existent lawn.

 

[Richard Slater]

I'm inclined to agree with @glenmonte however, I also understand the wife effect. Perhaps you can have a bit of both, I have a PRG lawn at the front that was patchy at best, I got it looking much better simply by

• scalping the dead spots
• killing weeds, the only option I have is 2,4D and Dicamba
• top dressing
• throwing down more PRG seed
• watering regularly
• adding organics as fast as possible to build the soil

Be worth having a look at:

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faDMU56Cspg[/media]

and

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbGDH_JOM9w[/media]

It could be fine fescue - perhaps pull out a good example at the root and post it up for a better idea, in general, the wider the blade the more water and more sun it requires. The fine fescues (i.e. chewings fescue, sheep's fescue, creeping red fescue, hard fescue) are more shade tolerant than their KBG/PRG/TTTF counterparts that does not mean they don't like sun through - my father-in-law has a stunning sheeps fescue lawn in full sun.

In terms of Weed ID, I would suggest separate posts, I'm terrible at US weeds because I'm in the UK!

 

[glenmonte]

I'm on board with @Richard Slater.

We had our sewer replaced in July 2016, and I wasn't going to wait until the fall for a new lawn. I added a layer of topsoil to the "dirt," put down some seed, covered it with peat moss, and kept it wet. I had a lawn in no time. I kept that lawn happy with organics, sprayed the same weed killers mentioned, and did a regular overseeing in the fall. Lush and thick the following year.

Instead of scalping the dead stuff, I raked it, but the same effect.

If you try, can you post pictures?

 

[Richard Slater]

Instead of scalping the dead stuff, I raked it, but the same effect.

Yeah, I'm in IT so super-lazy!