Stepping on self spreading grass

[giladbr]

Hello everyone,

I have a kind of "wild grass" in my garden that spreads by itself. I can't say which type it is exactly, also I think that there is a mixture of a few types. In one area the grass is thicker and has a darker green color, on another the grass is "spacier" and has a lighter green color - sometimes they are even mixed together and sometimes the grass grows in long stems spreading on the ground.

Anyway... I want the grass to spread into new areas. I have multiple signs of beginnings of a "grass takeover" in some areas, but I also have many weeds in those areas, which I'm trying to pull out as much as possible, to clear room for the grass' roots.

What do you think is the best policy regarding stepping on the grass itself, and especially on those areas where there are beginnings of grass, but also many weeds and some bare ground?
Also, how should I combine irrigation into this policy? Because I like to water the areas of the weeds before pulling them out, because then they come out more easily and more wholly, with their root...

Thanks!

Gilad

[giladbr]

they are wet? Because as I said, I water those areas of "potential grass" before starting to handle the weeds, and when I'm weeding out, I need to step/sit somewhere...
I guess it might be bad to pressure the newly forming grass, but on the other hand might be good for weakening the weeds there?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Pics would be helpful...

Perhaps it is sedge and not grass that is encroaching? My native woodland sedge from my garden has wandered into my lawn (not that we care) and sounds a lot like what you are talking about. It's pretty common...

[img]https://www.sustainable-gardening.com/wp-content/uploads/carexpenn500.jpg[/img]

HG

[tylianna]

Sounds like my grass. We have zoysia grass and it is NICE! Of course we live in Indiana where it doesn't turn green until May, but when it greens up, it is soft, thick and doesn't die when it gets dry. When other lawns are brown from the heat, my lawn is GREEN!

It spreads above ground with stolens<?> and if you just take those stolens and put them somewhere else, they will spread. Or cut 1" plugs out of the grass and plant them elsewhere. That is how they propogate. I have weedy grass in other parts of my yard, and when I have the time I will plant plugs there, so my whole yard is nice and thick!

[tylianna]

Oh yeah... stepping on this grass wont do anything to it. It is one of the most hardy grasses... of course you want to keep it out of your garden!

I would rather pull the zoysia grass stolens, that grow ABOVE ground, out of my garden than the quack or bermuda grass that puts stolens/rhizomes that spread BELOW the ground... those are a PITA to get out!!

[giladbr]

Alright, here as some pics (BTW, does anyone know why the pictures appear as links and not like previews, like in "the helpful gardener" post above?):

[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119936.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119934.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119933.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119931.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119930.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119929.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119928.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119927.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119923.jpg?time=0[/url]
[url]https://albums.timg.co.il/userfolders/19/265563/26556320107119921.jpg?time=0[/url]

As you can see I have multiple types of grass growing in my garden (I don't really have a separation between "garden" and "lawn"...). BTW I live in Israel, Haifa area. My first priority is to have grass, no matter which type. Of course once I have a few types, I would prefer the thicker, more "organized" ones rather than the messy, wild ones...
So if you could please relate concerning the question "should I be stepping on the grass", especially when it's wet.

Thanks a lot.

Gilad

[The Helpful Gardener]

I was not able to suss out the image issue but changed them to hyperlinks so they are pretty easily viewed... Haifa is in the coast, so more moisture than the rest of the country? I do not know available grass types and do not know the soil conditions, but assume a very flinty, spent soil with little humus. We are big fans around hereof what compost can do for such soils. Topdressing is a good start towards improving turf. More grass seed right after and back rake it in...

And I would add a border between garden and "lawn" before starting...

HG

[giladbr]

Thanks HG, you've made some interesting points, but could you please relate more to the question that I raised - should I be stepping on the newly forming grass, especially when it's wet?
As for humidity, I live in Haifa area but about 25 Kilometers (~15 miles) inland, to the south-east. Thus the humidity is actually pretty good here relative to the coastal cities (not so sure about Haifa but Tel Aviv is humid as hell).
I "inherited" this garden as part of moving into a new apartment, and I know that the former tenant used a lot of compost. Anyway, I'm not sure what is the quality of the soil here. How can I determine this? What kind of things can I deduce from the ground's look, feel etc.? I would have to note, though, that it seems that the soil here is very fertile, as new plants are popping up here all the time.
I'm not so sure bordering the lawn from the garden is very practical here, as the grass is spreading between the existing garden plants...

Thanks.

Gilad

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hi Gilad,

Sorry if it seeems I have been avoiding that issue; I have been...

Look there are few plants that thrive on compaction; I would say we should never walk anywhere around them, but that avoids lawns altogether, right? So as they establish I would avoid it as much as possible; baby plants are even more in need of the perfect biologies and porosity that untrampled soil affords them. But I understand the needs of people, too...

As for that border, I think you chosse one or the other for any area; lawn or flowers. Unless you are planning meadow (a whole different discussion), that's the way of the world. If it's flower bed, weed the grass, if it's lawn, move the flowers...

HG