Don’t confuse bentgrass with turf grass. While it might look like a grass, it falls under the Undesirable Grasses category. It’s not a turf grass. It has a very shallow root system and can choke out your turf grass as well as invite many other disease, drought or insect related issues to your property.
You may have heard of bentgrass, or creeping bentgrass, before if you are a golfer - this type of grass performs GREAT on a golf course. It can tolerate being mowed to a very short height and it’s great for putting!
In a lawn, however, it serves very little purpose and it can actually be harmful.
Why Is Bent Grass bad for my lawn?
- Insect problems: bentgrass is very prone to pest invasions. We recommend an active pest control program if you know you have bent grass in your lawn.
- Disease problems.
- Drought problems.
- Heat problems: it tends to turn brown during summer with heat stress. You might see brown patches and think something is wrong with your lawn but it might really just be bent grass dying off.
- Weed problems: while bentgrass is dormant, it becomes prone to weed takeover.
How do we control bentgrass?
We use a product called Pylex. We do 2 applications. The first application gets into the root system. This starts to selectively kill it. Your grass will start to turn white - this means it’s working. A couple weeks later, we apply round 2. This gets it fully through the root system and fully knock it out. We like to think of it as a 1,2 punch.
Pro tip: if you have small spots of bentgrass that havent yet spread, pull these out by hand. Remember - bentgrass has a very shallow root system.
What is Pylex?
Pylex is fairly new to the industry for controlling bentgrass. 2-3 applications per year is what is recommended.
Related Articles:
- How To Get Rid of Weeds [The Ultimate Guide]
- How to Prevent and Control Crabgrass
- Why Are Mushrooms Growing in My Yard?
- Zoysia Grass - Controlling Undesirable Grasses
- Will My Neighbor's Dandelions Blow Into My Lawn?
- How to Get Rid of Orchard Grass
- Clover Lawn vs Grass Lawn
Since 2007, Green Meadow Lawn Care has provided homeowners throughout the greater Tolland, Connecticut area with premium fertilization programs, tick control, mosquito management, seeding & aeration and tree & shrub care.
Visit our Learning Center to find out more about how our services can help you or visit our Youtube Channel to view more in our Learning Center Series.
To speak to our Customer Service Manager, please call Dave (view Dave's video bio here) with any questions. Dave has been in the industry for 30 years and is always happy to help with his expert advice.
860-870-5700