Johnson Grass

[BigClay]

So anyone have any good ways to get Johnson Grass out of a yard? Also, know where I can send some soil off to check the pH?

 

[RenegadeT]

I'd call here...
Forsyth County

In Guilford county, I think you drop off soil samples from around your yard, they analyze for free. After poking that website, I think I just found my next few hours of reading!

 

[drkelly]

You can get the boxes for the soil samples from the Guilford County Center out East of GSO on Burlington Road. You can them mail them off. They will provide analysis that tells you what to add to your soil. We did this when we first moved into our new house. Crap, missed that you are in Forsyth County.

 

[Infamous1]

Round Up is your friend. I also use manual removal, try to pull low on the stem so the roots come out when you pull.

 

[drkelly]

I would not spray anything on your lawn right now if you are planning on reseeding during September. Weed grasses generally die during the winter. The time to attack them starts in late February and ends in mid-May.


A coworker of mine gave me this document. This is what he follows, and he has a nice lawn.


Tall Fescue Maintenance Schedule for established lawns in the North Carolina Piedmont region.


Between September 15th and October 1st:

• Aerate and overseed
• Use a blend of tall fescue cultivars at 4 pounds per thousand square feet. Keep the seedbed moist to ensure good germination.
• Mow to 2 1/2 to 3 inches in height when needed.

Between October 1st and October 31st:

• Fertilize using a complete nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer (12-4-8 or 16-4-8)if you’re on a tight budget 10-10-10 is okay 13-13-13 is better.
• Check for white grubs in October; fall is the ideal time to control white grubs.

Between November 15th and December 15th

Best time to put down Lime, if needed

• Fertilize (12-4-8 or 16-4-8) if you’re on a tight budget 10-10-10 is okay 13-13-13 is better

Between February 1st and February 15th

• Apply a Crabgrass preventer (pre-emergent) and fertilizer. Or a Crabgrass preventer with fertilizer in it. Sta-green brand at Lowes is okay.
• Mow before grass gets taller than 5 inches.

Between March 15th and April 15th

(About the time the dogwoods bloom)

• Apply broadleaf herbicides to control dandelions and other weeds if necessary.

(“Spectracide Lawn Weed Killer Plus Crabgrass” works well with a hose end sprayer, or the kind that you attach the hose right to the bottle.)

• Mow at 3 inches.
• DO NOT fertilize tall fescue after March 15.

Between May 1st and May 15th

(or as late as early June)

• Apply crab grass preventer (pre-emergent) to control crabgrass NO FERTILIZER

Between May 15th and September 15th

• Raise mower height to 3 ½ to 4 inches.

• DO NOT fertilize tall fescue at this time.
• Avoid the use of herbicides at this time.
• Irrigate when needed

This information was modified slightly from the NC state university website:

For more info see:

- TurfFiles

 

[justjeepin86]

What the hell is Johnson Grass?

 

[Wes]

I've given up on trying to have nice grass. I live in a culdesac and it's at the bottom of a hill, so I get runoff from about 12 houses up the hill. Needless to say I have around 795 different species of grass in my yard. It's green and full so I'm good with it.

 

[Infamous1]

What the hell is Johnson Grass?

The devil!!! It is an invasive sorghum grass that will take over crops, yards, gardens and whatever else it deems death worthy. Rated as one of the 10 worst weeds in the world per wiki. Only place in the world that doesn't have it is Antarctica. Lovely stuff. We used to have a "wiper" setup on a tractor that was basically a 10' wide "T" shaped piece of PVC with several holes drilled across the bottom and pieces of cotton rope hanging out so it didn't get the shorter grasses it just wiped roundup on the tall johnson grass. Just pour the weed controller in the top of the "T" and go.