Patches of grassy weeds. What should I do?

Hi, please see the overhead picture attached.

I have patchy areas of grassy weeds that have been increasing in size since we bought the house a couple years ago. I asked the landscaper about these weeds and he claimed it is not truly a weed but a grass, but it will overtake the lawn... Sounds like a weed to me... They die every winter, leave brown spots, and then grow through the dead weeds next summer.

He said it is hard to control them and you need to use roundup and then plant grass seeds. I hate the idea of using roundup. Can I pull them down to the soil and then plant grass seeds? That way the new grass seeds will hopefully prevent the weeds from having enough terrain to grow as thick?

Any help would be appreciated. Any services that can tackle this job? My landscaper doesn't seem to want the work.

 

Just pulling them down to the soil will not remove them. You need to remove the roots as well. You could try a weed and feed type fertilizer but you should identify the "weed" to see if it will do anything. If it is a grass it may have no effect.

Your other option is to remove the grass using a tiller or sod cutter and then replant, if you don't want to use chemicals.

 

Thanks for your reply. If I plant the grass seeds after pulling out the weeds in September and the grass seeds grow well, would they suppress the pre-existing weed roots from growing again in the Spring? Basically due to competition with nutrients?

 

The new grass will not grow fast enough to choke the pre-existing weeds.

 

A tiller will dig a few inches into the soil... but will it kill the weed roots?

 

If it's a grass then weed and feed will not touch it.

Take a sample to a local landscape supply not a big box store to find out what you have.

If its grass and you dont want it it will need to be killed with some form of Roundup and start from scratch!

 

Maybe. But weeds seam to be able to over power existing plants.