A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Plant pests and problems Lawn care problems keeping my lawn free from other grasses'

Hello fellow gardeners,
Several years ago i tried growing a new lawn from seed. I believe a combo rye and kentucky blue-grass seed was used. It came in quite well but soon was overtaken by what i believe to be a crab-grass type leaf (that stuff that has 'runners' that seem to go everywhere). There was, so i was told, an invasion of Bermuda grass as well. I attempted in earnest to pull the unwanted growth out by hand. Before long the whole lawn (about 300 sq.') was dug up in my attempts to control the problem.

I want to try again but this time with sod using the same type grass combo as stated above or some sort of fesque. Assuming I place the new sod doing everything right from soil preperation, using the right ammendments and placing the sod correctly is there a way to prevent a future invasion?

I'm 63 and retired and for the first time in my life appreciating the satisfaction of growing a garden and working with soil. I love it! But i need help-

Welcome, Harold. From So cal semi-desert. I feel for you. And I gave up on lawns and went with a cottage garden.
I think there are several different types of grasses we call crab. Most of them are creeping and invasive types. Take a look at grass seed and how light it actually is. It will blow in the slightest breeze and travel with pets and pests in their fur, etc. Now look around your neighborhood for types of grasses that are around. You can begin with a lovely sod but you will get contributions from all over.
So a lawn will eventually revert to what mixture is nearby.
The healthiest, thickest lawns can help reject unwanted seed. You can stave off the invasions with diligent work and then reseeding patches often. One of the best types in SoCal for warding off volunteers is a healthy St. Augustine. But this is a grass that needs lots of work on its own. To keep it in bounds and green. And you need a heavy-duty lawnmower to cut it.
Good luck!

Lay newspaper over the grass you wish to remove 10 sheets thick, and then wet the newspaper. Cover the newspaper with a 4-inch layer of wood chips to keep the newspaper from blowing away and to retain the moisture. Water the wood chips to make them heavier. Heat from the sun will warm the wood chips choking the grass underneath. Cover the newspaper with a 4-inch layer of wood chips to keep the newspaper from blowing away and to retain the moisture. Water the wood chips to make them heavier. Heat from the sun will warm the wood chips choking the grass underneath.

Hello Tina,
Thank you for taking the time to read my first post on this site and of course your reply is greatly appreciated. Harold

You are very welcome, Harold. I am just not sure you wanted to hear what I had to say, so much. Grasses grow naturally all over, but lawns do not. We are constantly bucking Mother Nature every time we try. So it is a lot of work. She is constantly trying to revert to her way of doing things. I decided to kind of go with the flow and add extra love and water.