Invasive weed/grass in my lawn - Page 5

 

On 7/4/2010 5:00 PM, hr(bob) hofmann@att.net wrote:

Looks a bit like stuff invading my lawn in spots.  Easily pulled and
broadleaf killer does not touch it.  I think premerge suppresses it as
neighbors lawn out back is nearly 100% since he does not treat back.
Pulling and premerg are my recommendations.

 


I started pulling today, we'll see how long my back can hold out.

I am curious how this weed propogates.  The plants don't seem to have
any flowers/seeds, and yet a new patch will start up 30 feet from any
other patches in the yard. I can understand spreding thru the roots,
but 30 feet is a long distance for a root without any visible
topping.   Bird dropppings????  or what????

 

On 7/5/10 7:07 PM, hr(bob) hofmann@att.net wrote:

Grass has flowers and seeds.  Many smaller grasses have flowers that
escape notice.  Generally, they are on short stalks and have "rays" like
miniature umbrella ribs.  The seeds are smaller than the seeds that
speckle the outside of a strawberry.

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 

On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:51:45 -0700, "David E. Ross"


Grass seed is not nearly so small as strawberry seed.... grass seed is
actually quite large as seeds go... well, what one finds in a bag of
grass seed from the store... most commercial grass seed is a mixture,
even those claiming to be of a particular type still contain some
percentage of other seeds, including 'weed' seed.... the physical size
of a plant has little bearing on the size of its seed.  Seeds produced
by the lawn itself are dispersed by animals but mostly by wind, and
those that stick to the bottoms of shoes as one walks about.  Weeds
tyically start from those produced in a neighbors lawn... no matter
how much weed prevention one employs one cannot control nearby
properties... many seeds can travel great distances when airborne,
many miles.

 

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net wrote:
...

  someplace else might be supplying
the seeds for it (how it got there to
begin with).  or there might be seeds
coming in via other means (fertilizers,
composts, reseeding).

 mulching mower, or animal movement
(birds sometimes pull pieces of turf and
mud to use as nest making materials and
then drop it (oh no a hawk!)).

  if those are leaf nodules on the stems
some of those might be viable given
the right moisture and soil conditions.
any mower sucks and some of what
they suck may include stems that are
weakened and not deeply attached
with a bit of root.  instant transport to
new location, regular watering and
there ya go.

  more than likely though, is seeds
as some stems may lay flat enough to
not be clipped before flowering and
setting seed.  after the seeds form
then they can be dispersed in a
near infinite number of ways (well
as far as i'm concerned, there's just
too many critters out there).

  first and last of the above most
likely.  the middle is just me being
pedantic.  i left out the parts that
get caught in deer feet because
that only happens here.  :)

  good luck,


  songbird