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Jungle rice or Poa triv

3.8K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  critterdude311  
#1 ·
I have these light green patches popping up everywhere and growing much faster than anything else. This is my second spring from a fall reno I did. I don't remember seeing these spots last spring but it has been unusually warm here in New Jersey for this time of year. They have the boat shape tip like bluegrass but many of them have this reddish purplish them which I'm not sure of. I thought I remember seeing a thread with similar looking plant a year or two ago and it was described as jungle rice or something of the sort. I guess I'm just looking for some kind of confirmation before I go out I will start hitting with Roundup and making a bunch of dead spots.


 
#5 ·
It's not jungle rice, it's poa trivialis. Looks very much like the triv I've been killing this year and last. Virginia Tech soil/plant lab positive identified mine as poa triv and said to use glyphosate to kill it. Spray at least two/three apps of glyphosate about a week apart for the foliage and roots to absorb the AI to kill the plant, do it during the spring when the plant is actively growing before it goes dormant during hot summer. If possible reseed or put down sod after final kill spray before summer is in full swing.
 
#7 ·
Ryan1+2 said:
Thanks a lot for positive I'd. I was hoping otherwise but had a feeling that it was triv.
I'll second @Powhatan on this one: Poa Trivialis.

Rutgers published a blog post on this last year: https://turfblog.rutgers.edu/?p=1192

It's been rampant the last 2 years in Jersey with all of the rain we've gotten. Perfect conditions for it to explode.
 
#8 ·
@critterdude311 thaks for the link to that article. The pictures they show are identical to my yard. I spot sprayed with glyphosate two days ago. I see no other option than to suck it up a deal with collateral damage. I will attempt to put some seed down once it is dead but we'll see how that goes. Definitely going to focus on fall pre-emergent rather than over seed. I also have a lot of poa annua😞
 
#13 ·
I am in southeast PA and its exploded all a sudden in my yard too.

first saw it last year and there were a lot of posts on here about people seeing it too. Several members got it officially ID'd as triv after a lot of discussion of jungle rice, orchard grass, ect.

There is a long running thread here:
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2461&start=400

Didn't do anything last year to it, but will be getting out with round-up this weekend. i have a larger area so I think I'm going to get some PRG to put down to get something up quickly prior to summer and then most likely have my normal overseed in the early fall.

I have a large cluster right in the middle of the yard. It shows up pretty well in the pic below. I'm thinking of just hitting that whole area rather than selectively trying to get each plant and just be done with it. I then have smaller areas I can hit individually where smaller plants are growing.

Wife and the neighbors already think I'm nuts with the yard, this will only further convince them.

 
#14 ·
Ryan1+2 said:
@critterdude311 thaks for the link to that article. The pictures they show are identical to my yard. I spot sprayed with glyphosate two days ago. I see no other option than to suck it up a deal with collateral damage. I will attempt to put some seed down once it is dead but we'll see how that goes. Definitely going to focus on fall pre-emergent rather than over seed. I also have a lot of poa annua😞
I feel your pain. To quote Connor Ward, "that poa is a real pisser"