Hey everyone, i need identifying which grass this is so i can start over seeding and lawn levelling. Ive thatched and aerated it. Will be adding river sand mixed with a bit of dried manure in a week’s time as i feel the grass is coming out of its dormant stage. I believe this is Zoysia but im not 100% sure. Average February temps in my city are 53 to 80 F
by r4mb0l4mb0
2 Comments
If you’re asking for help with identifying a weed and/or type of grass, please include close-up photos showing as much detail as possible.
For grasses, it is especially important to get close photos from multiple angles. It is rarely possible to identify a grass from more than a few inches away. In order to get accurate identifications, the more features of the grass you show the more likely you are to get an accurate identification. Features such as, [ligules](https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/styles/image_gallery_mobile/public/2024-03/180.png.jpg?itok=D5yNs0l8) (which can be hairy, absent entirely, or membranous (papery) like the photo), [auricles](https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/styles/image_gallery_mobile/public/2024-03/Grasses%20at%20a%20Glance%20Blog%20Pictures.png.jpg?itok=PLrWX4q-), any hairs present, roots, stems, and any present seed heads. General location can also be helpful.
Pull ONE shoot and get pictures of that.
[This page from MSU](https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/grass-photography-tips-for-id-help-us-help-you) has helpful tips on how to take pictures of grasses for the purposes of identification.
u/nilesandstuff
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Dethatching is a recent trend in lawn care that’s become more common thanks to youtube creators and other non-academic sources. As such, there’s a widespread misunderstanding/misinformation about the topic. This automatic comment has been created in the hopes of correcting some of those falsehoods.
Thatch is the layer of stems and roots, both living and dead, that makes up the top layer of soil. Grass clippings are not thatch and do not contribute to thatch. The thickness of thatch can only be assessed by digging into the soil.
Some thatch is good. While some academic sources say that under 1 inch of thatch is beneficial, most settle for half an inch. Thatch is beneficial for many reasons (weed prevention, traffic tolerance, insulation against high temps and moisture loss, etc) and should not be removed. Over half an inch of thatch may not warrant removal, but the underlying causes should be addressed. An inch or more of thatch SHOULD be addressed. Dethatching as a regular maintenance task, and not to address an actual thatch problem, is NOT beneficial… Again, some thatch is good.
Thatch problems are not typical. Excessive thatch is a symptom of other issues, such as: over-fertilization, overwatering, regular use of fungicides, excessive use of certain insecticides, high/low pH, and the presence of certain grasses (particularly weedy grasses).
Dethatching with a flexible tine dethatcher (like a sunjoe) causes considerable short-term and long-term injury to lawns, and is known to encourage the spread of some grassy weeds like bentgrass and poa trivialis. In some RARE cases, that level of destruction may be warranted… But it should always be accompanied with seeding.
A far less damaging alternative to dealing with excessive thatch is core aeration. Core aeration doesn’t remove a significant amount of thatch, and therefore doesn’t remove a significant amount of healthy grass. BUT it can greatly speed up the natural decomposition of thatch.
Verticutters and scarifiers are also less damaging than flexible tine dethatchers.
For the purposes of overseeding, some less destructive alternatives would be slit seeding, scarifying, manual raking, or a tool like a Garden Weasel. Be sure to check out the seeding guide [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/s/pUsKCxyvwQ)
Additionally, be sure to check the list of causes above to be sure you aren’t guilty of those.
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