[Help] Lawn / Grass problem ?

GOM · Jul 4, 2019

We moved into a new property in March and the grass has lots of white grass in it. Pictures attached hopefully. The grass is currently maintained about 50mm high.

Can anyone [MENTION=259]Jack Straw[/MENTION] tell me what it is, is anything wrong?, and how do I get rid of the white grass.

KZNSeagull · Jul 4, 2019

Has it always been there, or just appeared recently?

Mr Putdown · Jul 4, 2019

Powdery mildew fungus at a guess.

GOM · Jul 4, 2019

KZNSeagull said:
Has it always been there, or just appeared recently?

Been there since we arrived in early March. It does not look diseased, but that's why I'm asking.

GOM · Jul 4, 2019

Mr Putdown said:
Powdery mildew fungus at a guess.

It's deffo not that, it is not covered in anything it is just white.

edit....there is a green core wrapped in white

BigBod · Jul 4, 2019

I had something similar a few years back...looked like the white stuff was old and a bit more of a stalk than a grass if you know what I mean...anyhow my knowledge of gardening is zero, but what I did was cut the grass short, scarify with an electric scarifier, chuck some grass seed down, put some netting over it and water everyday.

Looks lush now... i was amazed how much stuff came up from scarifying, the lawn looked almost bald!!

GOM · Jul 4, 2019

BigBod said:
I had something similar a few years back...looked like the white stuff was old and a bit more of a stalk than a grass if you know what I mean...anyhow my knowledge of gardening is zero, but what I did was cut the grass short, scarify with an electric scarifier, chuck some grass seed down, put some netting over it and water everyday.

Looks lush now... i was amazed how much stuff came up from scarifying, the lawn looked almost bald!!

Sounds like it could be the same thing, thanks

surrey jim · Jul 4, 2019

Aerate lawn, put grass feed&seed down, water daily, should get rid of it.

If you choose to scarify would recommend waiting until later in the year as grass finds it harder to recover during mid-summer months.

GOM · Jul 4, 2019

surrey jim said:
Aerate lawn, put grass feed&seed down, water daily, should get rid of it.

If you choose to scarify would recommend waiting until later in the year as grass finds it harder to recover during mid-summer months.

Done the feed and seed and has plenty of water, aerate left to do and scarify later, thanks

surrey jim · Jul 4, 2019

GOM said:
Done the feed and seed and has plenty of water, aerate left to do and scarify later, thanks

Hope it goes well, let us know how you get on

Jack Straw · Jul 4, 2019

GOM said:
We moved into a new property in March and the grass has lots of white grass in it. Pictures attached hopefully. The grass is currently maintained about 50mm high.

Can anyone [MENTION=259]Jack Straw[/MENTION] tell me what it is, is anything wrong?, and how do I get rid of the white grass.

View attachment 112393

View attachment 112394

Have you got an even closer up photo? It looks like it could just be a case that your mower's blades are very blunt, and the white bits are where the grass blades have been bruised. Have you checked the blades lately? Do you use a cylinder of rotary mower? My guess is a rotary. Can you post a photo of the under neath of your mower showing the blades if it is a rotary. If it is a cylinder mower, you need to adjust both sides so that the cutting unit just brushes the bottom plate evenly all the way along its length. There should be plenty of advice on this on-line.
When you moved in, was the grass really long, and did you shave it off initially? It does look like, in your last photo, that it could be stalky bits. As suggested by a previous poster, shave and scarify and start again!
I look forwards to your reply!

Weststander · Jul 4, 2019

Is it Poa Annua, Annual Meadow Grass? They could be the stalks. My lawnmower has a razor sharp blade, but I still get that.

If so, you can’t get rid of it. Everything you do to improve the other (good) grasses, also benefits Poa Annua - feeding, watering, scarifying. It’s screwed large sections of a beautiful lawn I turfed about 4 years ago, which used to look a lush, dark green.

Green-keepers have discussed this subject to death.

To keep it in check:
Regularly scarify to at least bring the seeds heads up high just before mowing.
Aerate the soil and fill the holes with a fine sand/loam mix to improve the conditions for your favoured grasses.
Over seed bare patches in spring or early autumn, when the conditions are wet.
Mow very regularly to give the seed heads less chance.

LamieRobertson · Jul 4, 2019

Jack Straw said:
Have you got an even closer up photo? It looks like it could just be a case that your mower's blades are very blunt, and the white bits are where the grass blades have been bruised. Have you checked the blades lately? Do you use a cylinder of rotary mower? My guess is a rotary. Can you post a photo of the under neath of your mower showing the blades if it is a rotary. If it is a cylinder mower, you need to adjust both sides so that the cutting unit just brushes the bottom plate evenly all the way along its length. There should be plenty of advice on this on-line.
When you moved in, was the grass really long, and did you shave it off initially? It does look like, in your last photo, that it could be stalky bits. As suggested by a previous poster, shave and scarify and start again!
I look forwards to your reply!

Can’t really add to this...although I could see one bit that was 51mm long

Jack Straw · Jul 4, 2019

Weststander said:
Is it Poa Annua, Annual Meadow Grass? They could be the stalks. My lawnmower has a razor sharp blade, but I still get that.

If so, you can’t get rid of it. Everything you do to improve the other (good) grasses, also benefits Poa Annua - feeding, watering, scarifying. It’s screwed large sections of a beautiful lawn I turfed about 4 years ago, which used to look a lush, dark green.

Green-keepers have discussed this subject to death.

To keep it in check:
Regularly scarify to at least bring the seeds heads up high just before mowing.
Aerate the soil and fill the holes with a fine sand/loam mix to improve the conditions for your favoured grasses.
Over seed bare patches in spring or early autumn, when the conditions are wet.
Mow very regularly to give the seed heads less chance.

That was my first assumption looking at the first photo, but if you look at the last photo (the close-up), you can see that it's bruising or seed stalk husk - I can't remember the technical name for that!

jevs · Jul 4, 2019

Jack Straw said:
That was my first assumption looking at the first photo, but if you look at the last photo (the close-up), you can see that it's bruising or seed stalk husk - I can't remember the technical name for that!

First thing that crossed my mind to be honest.

Bevendean Hillbilly · Jul 4, 2019

Fake grass. Problem over.

LamieRobertson · Jul 4, 2019

Bevendean Hillbilly said:
Fake grass. Problem over.

Great guy...its gonna be great ..amazing...oh thats bad...make America great again

Bevendean Hillbilly · Jul 4, 2019

LamieRobertson said:
Great guy...its gonna be great ..amazing...oh thats bad...make America great again

I must admit. Mine looks ace but, Christ, it burns your tootsies on hot days.

LamieRobertson · Jul 4, 2019

Bevendean Hillbilly said:
I must admit. Mine looks ace but, Christ, it burns your tootsies on hot days.

As someone who earns part of his living through cutting grass you can understand i’m not a great fan....however one thing i wish artificial lawns would do is change colour according to weather conditions....like if we had a dry hot spell it would go a lighter shade of green to blend in with surrounding lawns rather sticking out like a sore thumb (or toe in your case)

Is it PotG? · Jul 4, 2019

Still better than the dismal showing at the All England Club. Not even a week in and the Wimbledon courts look like a ploughed field.

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[Help] Lawn / Grass problem ?

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