There is a grassy weed that grows in the lawn this time of year, called “Poa annua” or “Poa trivialis” which is green and healthy early in the spring but will brown out and look bad in the summer. This “natural grass” occurs in mid atlantic soils and will germinate and grow when the conditions are right. You may think you have a great lawn when its doing well but as the hot weather sets in, it will shrivel up and look like disease-ridden turf. Good turf grass varieties on the other hand will look decent all year and tolerate stress factors such as heat, drought and wear traffic much better than the natural poas. HillSide uses turf-type tall fescue grass for its seeding jobs, this is hearty grass that will hold up to stress factors well.
Most lawns have some Poa in the shade areas or on the edges and curb strips, its when your lawn is dominated by this species is when it’s a real problem. Sometimes it takes the trained eye of a professional to identify it and recommend a solution. Sometimes re-installing the lawn is the only option, sometimes aeration and overseeding will introduce enough new turf to crowd out and overtake the Poa.
So call for a free analysis of your turf varieties today. We will give you an honest assessment and let you know if your Poa is a solvable problem.
