Help with rejuvenating a terrible lawn - Ask Extension
Location: Spring Lake Park, MN. Soil: Terrible - Very sandy (Anoka Sand Plain). Setting: Corner south facing lot, 80% full sun.
After three years of ...
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Help with rejuvenating a terrible lawn #876657
Asked July 10, 2024, 12:11 PM EDT
Location: Spring Lake Park, MN. Soil: Terrible - Very sandy (Anoka Sand Plain). Setting: Corner south facing lot, 80% full sun.
After three years of drought and my stubborn refusal to pour drinking water on my lawn, I surrender! My intention is to reseed a multitude of bare or weed infested areas. I am currently in the process of killing weeds in preparation for fall seeding. My question is identifying an unknown grass the has survived my three years of neglect and deciding if I should call it a weed and give it a drink of Roundup or let it continue to grow. The plant grows in tufts and has no rhizomes, so there seems to be no spreading. It is very drought tolerant. The leaves are definitely not soft (kids and grandkids are grown, so "softness" is not an issue). It is darker green than the other surviving grass (I assume "other" grasses are Kentucky blue grass.). It definitely is not quack grass. I have attached a picture of one of the tufts of grass. So .... what is it? kill it or not? is it a type of grass that is something I should encourage (there are currently a limited number of tufts of it.). Finally, I plan to reseed near State Fair time. Based on the sparse information I have provided, what type of seed do you suggest?
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
You will have to start over from scratch with your lawn. Grass cannot survive without moisture, especially in our sandy soil. I also live on the Anoka Sand Plaine but I watered enough, deeply. and spaced several days apart and my lawn is fine. Your bunching grass is most likely a grassy weed and, since it has short roots, dig or pull it out before you start a new lawn. You should bring in some compost and till it in. Compost is available in quantity from our county composting sites. https://extension.umn.edu/lawn-care/renovating-lawn-quality-and-sustainability