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Am I pulling up grass or weeds?? Ok
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Am I pulling up grass or weeds?? Ok


Hello. August in northern NJ here. I thought my lawn needed to be dethatched so came out to rake it gently. Certain areas that were the most brown and dry began to come up in sheet-like clumps. Is this a grassy weed or am I raking up dormant fescue grass and ruining my lawn?

I have been overseeding with Jonathan Green Black Beauty a few years now and am finally asking this question as it has happened a few years in a row.

I’m hoping this is a weed and I’m not ripping up actual grass. The last photo is of a small patch that seems to be doing well in the summer heat with my irrigation schedule. (for comparison)

Thank you in advance for your insight, reassurance, or advice.

by natkinson25

9 Comments

  3. Head-Nail-3456

    Happened to my grass. The coones were pealing it up To get to the grubs below.

  4. Mindless-Swordfish-7

    Check for grubs under the pulled sheet of grass

  5. Various_Papaya_7638

    It doesn’t look like your roots have developed or they are very shallow. This can occur from grubs or overwatering.

  6. ComfortableNebula266

    Definitely grass. Consider aeration after thatching the grass to help with deeper roots. Add Milorganite (fertilizer) and over water after application. Also, add Ironite to get the color of the grass greener.

  9. Badiha

    I would check for grub damage. Pretty typical of what you are describing. You can also buy products at the store to get rid of them. You are in the US and not can, so it’s available to you lol (sorry, we don’t get many products here so we often need to pay a company to get rid of common pests)

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