Grass strings

[TheCruncher]

I have a lawn with Malaysian grass. Recently I notice when cutting the lawn a grass blade that sticks out, then when I pull it is a maybe 30 -40 cm string that actually grows above the soil.

Then I can pull a similar one next to it, and one next to that one, and at end up with a spot of maybe 2 by 2 meter where it is one next to another.

After I finished pulling all those strings it looks horrible of course.

I never experienced something similar in the past 4 years, but recently there are a few spots like that.

What could be the cause and what can I do about?

Edited October 7, 2015 by TheCruncher

[kickstart]

Sounds to me you have some above ground rhizomes ,the maine one here is star grass ,that is what the locals around here call it , a member of the couch grass/twitch grass ( depends where you come from ) family , string like with tentacles coming off ,Google it and compare .

Where did it come from ,must have been brought in somehow ,or crept in under a fence ,from a another plot ,we have it growing in corners, it can spread quickly ,get rid of it by pulling it out .soon as you see a bit ,like couch grass in my old uk garden ,keep at it, and it will die out, glyphosate works well ,but it would look a mess on a lawn .

[TheCruncher]

Sounds to me you have some above ground rhizomes ,the maine one here is star grass ,that is what the locals around here call it , a member of the couch grass/twitch grass ( depends where you come from ) family , string like with tentacles coming off ,Google it and compare .

Where did it come from ,must have been brought in somehow ,or crept in under a fence ,from a another plot ,we have it growing in corners, it can spread quickly ,get rid of it by pulling it out .soon as you see a bit ,like couch grass in my old uk garden ,keep at it, and it will die out, glyphosate works well ,but it would look a mess on a lawn .

Thanks for the response, I looked it up, but that is not what I have.

I have a 2 or 3 very small spots of star grass right at a corner.

But what I'm talking about is right in the middle of the lawn.

It looks like Malaysian grass, but it grows on top of the surface, instead of under it. I wouldn't be worried about if it were just a few strings, but it are 2 by 2 meter areas.

Tomorrow I'll try to take a picture of it and post it here.

[fredge45]

Sounds to me you have some above ground rhizomes ,the maine one here is star grass ,that is what the locals around here call it , a member of the couch grass/twitch grass ( depends where you come from ) family , string like with tentacles coming off ,Google it and compare .

Where did it come from ,must have been brought in somehow ,or crept in under a fence ,from a another plot ,we have it growing in corners, it can spread quickly ,get rid of it by pulling it out .soon as you see a bit ,like couch grass in my old uk garden ,keep at it, and it will die out, glyphosate works well ,but it would look a mess on a lawn .

Thanks for the response, I looked it up, but that is not what I have.

I have a 2 or 3 very small spots of star grass right at a corner.

But what I'm talking about is right in the middle of the lawn.

It looks like Malaysian grass, but it grows on top of the surface, instead of under it. I wouldn't be worried about if it were just a few strings, but it are 2 by 2 meter areas.

Tomorrow I'll try to take a picture of it and post it here.

Malaysia grass spreads and gets a thicker ground cover by sending along these surface runners. It is great for crowding out other grasses that try to get in its way.

[TheCruncher]

A few pictures of the issue I have.

As I say, when I have pulled them out the lawn look pretty poor, with an area looking brown instead of green.

Edited October 8, 2015 by TheCruncher

[weegee]

Dont pull that out!!!!....Leave it alone for a season and fertilize it every couple of months and you will have a beautiful carpet lawn that protects the dirt from heat in hot season....

I have the same....at first though it was not good, but this grass snuffs out weeds and anything that tries to overgrow it.....on any wet area you may have the problem with, encourage it to grow there....and wait for the results, you wont be disappointed.