Barley Grass Takeover - Ask Extension
How do I control or rid my yard (Kentucky Blue Grass) of barley grass. Denver County resident.
Knowledgebase
Barley Grass Takeover #868402
Asked May 14, 2024, 1:38 PM EDT
How do I control or rid my yard (Kentucky Blue Grass) of barley grass. Denver County resident.
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Sue,
Mouse Barley (Hordeum murinum) is an annual grass that grows each year from seed dropped the previous season. Anything you can do to prevent those seeds from sprouting will help control it in your lawn.
For example, mowing your lawn high (2 1/2" - 3") reduces the amount of light that reaches the seed, and mowing frequently, together with good fertilizer and irrigation practices, encourages growth of a dense lawn which will outcompete the Hordeum seeds and reduce bare spots in which the seed can gain a foothold. Mowing off the seed heads using a catcher attachment to collect will reduce the seed bank in your lawn. Next year, apply a pre-emergent product around the time forsythia blooms (products labeled 'Crabgrass Preventers') and they will kill the Hordeum seeds as they germinate.
Here is a fact sheet from CSU Extension that outlines these control strategies in detail: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/control-of-annual-grassy-weeds-in-lawns-3-101/
Good luck!
Mouse Barley (Hordeum murinum) is an annual grass that grows each year from seed dropped the previous season. Anything you can do to prevent those seeds from sprouting will help control it in your lawn.
For example, mowing your lawn high (2 1/2" - 3") reduces the amount of light that reaches the seed, and mowing frequently, together with good fertilizer and irrigation practices, encourages growth of a dense lawn which will outcompete the Hordeum seeds and reduce bare spots in which the seed can gain a foothold. Mowing off the seed heads using a catcher attachment to collect will reduce the seed bank in your lawn. Next year, apply a pre-emergent product around the time forsythia blooms (products labeled 'Crabgrass Preventers') and they will kill the Hordeum seeds as they germinate.
Here is a fact sheet from CSU Extension that outlines these control strategies in detail: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/control-of-annual-grassy-weeds-in-lawns-3-101/
Good luck!
