Help! How to Get Rid of Coarse Grass in the Lawn

Does your lawn appear to be full of off-colour grass patches? This might be an early sign you have a coarse grass infestation. Robust and healthy, the different types of invasive grass weeds give gardeners a small window of time to react before they fully overtake the lawn. Early identification is as crucial as the correct control methods afterwards.

So, if you:

• Are having issues with coarse grass attacking your lawn;
• Want to know what the cause might be;
• Are looking for tips on identifying and removing it from your garden,

Then keep reading! This article has the answers.

But before we go any further, let’s identify the three most common types of coarse grass.

What are the different types of weed grasses that invade UK lawns?

How to identify coarse grass in the lawn

Now that you are familiar with the different types of invasive grass in lawns, let’s make it easy for you to spot them on the crime scene.

Next up…

Causes for coarse grass in the lawn

Before you unleash your mayhem on those pesky grass weeds, you should get to know why this happens in the first place and use more effective methods to prevent it in the future.

How to get rid of coarse grass in the lawn

Even though many sources out there advocate the use of weed killers, we’d like to give you a different perspective. Especially in the case of homeowners, you don’t need to resort to chemicals to tackle coarse grass. There are simple cultivar methods that can help you get rid of the weeds in a few months time with a fair share of determination.

Materials to use:

Depending on the severity of the infestation, choose one of the two methods described below.

Dealing with mild to moderate coarse grass weeding

Here’s a step-by-step process of how to get rid of mild to moderate coarse grass infestation:

Severe coarse grass infestations

Here’s the best way to eliminate drastic weed grass damage:

1. Cut out the problematic lawn.
   Rent or buy a sod cutter and start removing the infested lawn patches or the entirety of the grass.
2. Introduce topsoil.
   Spread topsoil on your ex-lawn area – as much as 2 inches of depth.
3. Roll in the topsoil.
   Use a decent water drum, go over the ground and roll the topsoil mix.
4. Lay new turf patches.
   Get a quality sod and lay it on top.
5. Keep the area wet.
   Water the area regularly, as you will need two weeks before the grassroots set in.
6. Mow on a high setting.
   Now that the lawn sod has settled in, use your lawnmower on a high setting (3 inches) and go over the area.
7. Apply rich in nitrogen fertilizer.
   Make sure it contains bacteria and mycorrhiza. Why? Because mycorrhizae and plants benefit each other by sharing food resources, thus enhancing a healthy ecosystem.
8. Rinse and repeat the process.
   Water the lawn deep, mow on a high setting, fertilise the soil and do that over the course of the next year.
9. Aerate once per year.

Next spring coming along, your regular lawn maintenance efforts will be awarded a well-rooted lush lawn. The above step-by-step process works in the majority of cases. However, if you want to be extra sure, here are a few specific methods tailored to each of the main weed grass culprits.

Removing poa annua

If you are having an issue specifically with annual meadow grass, here are a few tips on how to solve your problem:

1. Lift up the tufts.
   Lift up the biggest tufts in autumn.
2. Add soil.
   Add soil to level out the area.
3. Reseed.
   Reseed with a fine lawn seed mix of your choice.
4. Lay new turf.
   Alternatively, you can lay patches of new turf.

How to remove unwanted Yorkshire fog

To get rid of Yorkshire fog, you have two options – either cut it out completely and replace it with turf or seed, or weaken it by abrading with a spade or a spring-tine rake.

Getting rid of rough meadow grass

Rough meadow grass is generally more invasive than Yorkshire fog, and you should deal with it as soon as you spot it. Otherwise, you risk the well-being of your garden. Pull out individual plants or smaller weed tufts. The rest you can cut out with a knife and replace with turf or new fine grass seed.

Professional maintenance with Fantastic Services

We know how important a regular lawn cut is, and overall lawn care is what you need to effectively deal with coarse grass in the long run. No two lawns are the same, this is why our expert grass mowing and care service comes with a custom-tailored treatment plan.

Takeaways

Reality check – it’s not that easy to get rid of coarse grass completely. It’s invasive and in most cases, it might go unnoticed for a long time before it gets out of control. So, bear in mind that:

• Coarse grass remains pale green even after growing completely;
• Invasive meadow grass doesn’t thrive in unfavourable conditions, such as acidic soil or excessive drought, however, it’s more vigorous in colder temperatures that fine grass;
• If left unchecked, coarse grasses can leave you with a patchy and bare lawn;
• Regular lawn maintenance is key to dealing with this type of weed effectively;

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Have you ever dealt with a coarse grass infestation at home? Did you manage to successfully overcome it? Share your experience below so we can update our article on a regular basis.

Image source: shutterstock / Satab Gnana