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Picture of Dormant Grass #677725

Asked November 25, 2020, 12:02 PM EST

I had my lawn aerated and overseeded two months ago. The seeding has taken very well except in a few places. In these few places, the existing grass (see pictures) looks dead or dormant. Is this just stubborn crabgrass that has prevented the new seed taking? Is there anything I can do now to improve the situation for Spring? Should I pull it or wait to spring? Please advise and thanks.

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi,

I don't think this is crabgrass but it looks like nimblewill. Crabgrass is a warm-season annual grass (it comes back only from seed) and nimblewill is a warm-season perennial grass. The roots of nimblewill do not die over the winter only the top growth, after a frost. Leave it be for now, if you have bare soil another kind of weed will just take over. Pulling it out may not remove the roots, ideally, you need to dig the patches out. Then loosen up the soil add some topsoil/organic matter to the bare areas and reseed. 

The following provides other options for control,

https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/nimblewill

Deb

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied November 25, 2020, 12:24 PM EST

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