Torpedo grass

[Donaz1]

I just moved into my home and have been told I have Torpedo grass. One company is trying to treat it but I have read that the only solution is to kill it repeatedly, dig it up and put in new sod. Anyone have experience with this invasive grass?

[Bogie Shooter]

Here is a start, with some other links.
How to Control Torpedo Grass in Your Lawn | Today's Homeowner (https://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-control-torpedo-grass-in-your-lawn/)

[dewilson58]

Had the grass. Fertigator hammered it for months (I think 12) and it's gone. They didn't have to kill the yard.

[thetruth]

I just moved into my home and have been told I have Torpedo grass. One company is trying to treat it but I have read that the only solution is to kill it repeatedly, dig it up and put in new sod. Anyone have experience with this invasive grass?

There is no shortage of misinformation and people trying to SELL you stuff based on misinformation and/or your lack of knowledge.

The voice of experience. We've been here five years-laughing a bit. Weeds or any plant survives because of either seeds in the soil or seeds dropped in by birds, the guy who mows your lawn etc. That is why no matter what you do you will not wipe it out.

Having said that it is fairly easy to kill. What to use depends on how much you have. You can spot treat it with a products such as Round up-gycophospahte. Seems spell checker does not know how to spell it either. It will also kill your grass or most any other plant you hit with it. Solution is to spot treat only the torpedo also called rocket grass with a paint brush.

Another less commonly available product is dimeththyfime ????
it is available mail order from I think the company is called DO IT YOURSELF. The smallest quantity they sell covers 10,000 sq feet and it costs like $30. A big plus for me is it says DO NOT USE ON ST. AUGUSTINE. Typically in a Zoysia lawn the gardeners will bring in St Augustine. This will kill the St Augustine but not the zoysia.

Any of the above chemicals will take about two weeks to work.
A tool such as a simple dandelion weeder will give you instant results by simply digging it out.

[thetruth]

I just moved into my home and have been told I have Torpedo grass. One company is trying to treat it but I have read that the only solution is to kill it repeatedly, dig it up and put in new sod. Anyone have experience with this invasive grass?

See my reply to your specific question.
As great lawn garden asset, we have the cooperative extension. They have regular lectures on specific issues. What I am saying is they are worth attending.

I still recall at one of the lectures for newbys the speaker asked how many people were northerners. His next line was forget everything you knew. Assuming you are a northerner, in one of my replies to you I mentioned a dandelion weeder. I will be there are people here who don't even know what a dandelion weeder is.

[thetruth]

Had the grass. Fertigator hammered it for months (I think 12) and it's gone. They didn't have to kill the yard.

"Hammered it," there is a weedkiller sold under the name of."sedgehammer," it does kill nut sedge without killing your grass.
It is fairly expensive. If, it was applied for torpedo grass and it took 12 applications obviously not very cost effective. The bill OUCH

[Midnight Cowgirl]

Unless you are absolutely overwhelmed with it, hand-pulling works, obviously.
Even if you only spend 15 minutes a day, little-by-little you will get rid of most of it and won't be using insecticides that harm the environment.

I'm sure you are aware that it will always be present because of birds dropping seeds, the wind, and mostly -- your or your yard man's lawn mower which has all kinds of nasty stuff harbored on the underside of the mower.

[dewilson58]

"Hammered it," there is a weedkiller sold under the name of."sedgehammer," it does kill nut sedge without killing your grass.
It is fairly expensive. If, it was applied for torpedo grass and it took 12 applications obviously not very cost effective. The bill OUCH


Not expensive at all. They didn't come out monthly.


Hammered is an expression.


:faint:

[dewilson58]

A quick cut & paste:




How to Control Torpedo Grass in Your Lawn

How do I get rid of torpedo grass in my lawn? -Sherry

They don’t call torpedo grass (Panicum repens) “creeping panic” for nothing, since it’s very difficult to control once it finds its way into your yard! Most weed killers barely slow torpedo grass down, and pulling or digging only makes it grow faster. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to kill torpedo grass without killing your lawn grass, too.
I wish I had an easy solution for you, but when you want to get rid of torpedo grass, you’ve got to pull out the big guns. Here are some ideas to try:
Herbicides


https://www.todayshomeowner.com/images/article/ask-julie-how-control-torpedo-grass-lawn-1.jpg
Torpedo grass with Bermuda
Glyphosphate: (such as Roundup) is considered the most effective herbicide against torpedo grass, though it kills lawn grass and other plants, too.
Imazapyr: (such as Ortho Ground Clear) is also effective on torpedo grass, along with all other plants, but has a residual effect in the soil that can harm trees and shrubs.
Keep at It: Any herbicide treatment will likely need to be applied more than once.
Target Weeds: Use a plastic bottle (https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/target-weeds/) to minimize overspray onto your lawn.
Protect Waterways: Torpedo grass often grows near and in water. Never use herbicides if the spray can come into contact with waterways.

Other Control Measures



Solarization: If you are clearing a larger area of lawn, you can solarize it by covering with clear plastic for a month or two during the summer. The sun will bake everything underneath, leaving you with (hopefully) a clean slate in the fall.
Burning: Researchers at the South Florida Water Management Division have successfully managed torpedo grass by burning it during the winter, then spraying it with herbicide as soon as it starts to sprout again.
Pulling and Digging: Manually removing torpedo grass isn’t very effective, since the bits of broken plant spread and sprout anew!

Torpedo grass is a marshy plant that tends to invade areas with poor drainage or that have recently been disturbed (such as by a controlled burn, tilling, or grading). You can help discourage infestations of torpedo grass by:


Improving drainage and soil quality in your yard to keep the existing lawn grass healthy.
Replacing disturbed soil with sod, lawn grasses, or naturalized beds before weeds have time to invade.

Further Information



Torpedograss (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/308) (University of Florida)
Torpedo Grass (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PARE3) (USDA Plants Profile)

[davekroupa]

I have had success with QuinKill from DoItYourself pest control......You must be diligent and reapply several times over a few weeks as the roots spread....

[Donaz1]

Wow, what great responses and clear advice. My lawn is fairly small and am thinking of just mowing myself. I plan to start pulling it up little by little AND killing it with the weed killers in your responses.

Thank You,
Don Darrah

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I'm not understanding the problem. Most lawns in the Villages are St. Augustine, Bermuda Grass, or Zoysia. None of those are actual grasses and in the north, they're all considered invasive weeds. So you now have another invasive green grassy-looking mowable thing growing in your lawn. Why not just mow it along with the rest of the lawn? It doesn't look any worse to me than the growing astro-turf you folks call Zoysia. At least torpedo grass adds a touch of interesting texture and the pale underside of the leaves gives the lawn a shimmery look in the right light.

[pooh]

I'm not understanding the problem. Most lawns in the Villages are St. Augustine, Bermuda Grass, or Zoysia. None of those are actual grasses and in the north, they're all considered invasive weeds. So you now have another invasive green grassy-looking mowable thing growing in your lawn. Why not just mow it along with the rest of the lawn? It doesn't look any worse to me than the growing astro-turf you folks call Zoysia. At least torpedo grass adds a touch of interesting texture and the pale underside of the leaves gives the lawn a shimmery look in the right light.

Lawns in the south are different than up in the northern part of the country and maybe, just maybe, the next door neighbor prefers the lawn type that came with his/her home and not torpedo grass that will work its way to another yard. 32 years in CA...we had Blue Grass and Bermuda...13 years
here, St. Augustine’s and Zoysia,,,conditions are better for them than other “grasses.”

[Mikeod]

I'm not understanding the problem. Most lawns in the Villages are St. Augustine, Bermuda Grass, or Zoysia. None of those are actual grasses and in the north, they're all considered invasive weeds. So you now have another invasive green grassy-looking mowable thing growing in your lawn. Why not just mow it along with the rest of the lawn? It doesn't look any worse to me than the growing astro-turf you folks call Zoysia. At least torpedo grass adds a touch of interesting texture and the pale underside of the leaves gives the lawn a shimmery look in the right light.

The grasses in use in the South are chosen because they will thrive in the prolonged heat we have. Cool season grasses like bluegrass or bentgrass can be grown here but will require tremendous amounts of water to survive. Not good for the environment or finances. The zoysia you have such disdain for is a good balance between the bermuda grass which is cut low, and St. Augustine with its large blades. And as another poster mentioned, torpedo grass will invade neighboring lawns which may create tension with residents on both sides.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I understand that, I'm saying why fight it? Why not embrace it, and encourage everyone to have torpedo grass? It's green, it can be mowed, it serves as ground cover, and it's apparently free, since it's brought in by the birds, other animals, mower blades from landscapers, and even the wind itself. What is it about torpedo grass that offends people who choose crab grass (bermuda grass) to cover their lawns? Especially since torpedo grass obviously needs little to no maintenance. We have weeds like that on lawns around here, and they mostly just fill out spots that have been damaged by ants or moles or burrowing rabbits or nut-hiding squirrels. They get mowed along with the rest of the lawn, and no one even notices there's any difference from one spot to the next.

[Velvet]

I looked up what this torpedo grass looks like. Honestly, I didn’t recognize any of the grasses in TV. When I walked through them to see the back of homes it really felt like I was walking on hay. The grass pricked me through my open sandals. It would seem like a weed grass would be easy to maintain. There must be a reason why people don’t like it.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I looked up what this torpedo grass looks like. Honestly, I didn’t recognize any of the grasses in TV. When I walked through them to see the back of homes it really felt like I was walking on hay. The grass pricked me through my open sandals. It would seem like a weed grass would be easy to maintain. There must be a reason why people don’t like it.

Bermuda grass is also a weed, in the north. But it looks a LOT different from rye and blue fescue. Looks different, feels different, it's a very significantly visible difference. In the south, rye and blue fescue can't grow the same way, can't survive well at all.

So I do get that what's a weed to me, is viable ground cover to Floridians. I totally get that. But that is WHY I'm confused about their disdain for torpedo grass.

[Ozzello]

Fertilize and mow it. it's green and easy to grow.

[MrGolf]

I too have had success with Quinkill, but as Dave mentioned you need to be diligent. Mine started from my neighbors lawn and it moved quickly. I now spray both mine and his to keep it in check.

[dewilson58]

I understand that, I'm saying why fight it? Why not embrace it, and encourage everyone to have torpedo grass? It's green, it can be mowed, it serves as ground cover, and it's apparently free, since it's brought in by the birds, other animals, mower blades from landscapers, and even the wind itself. What is it about torpedo grass that offends people who choose crab grass (bermuda grass) to cover their lawns? Especially since torpedo grass obviously needs little to no maintenance. We have weeds like that on lawns around here, and they mostly just fill out spots that have been damaged by ants or moles or burrowing rabbits or nut-hiding squirrels. They get mowed along with the rest of the lawn, and no one even notices there's any difference from one spot to the next.




Our neighbor has a ton of it.........it looks like a yard full of weeds. There are high spots and low spots. Not finding any other neighbors who are embracing the look.

[New Englander]

I had this torpedo grass. Also called rocket grass/nutsedge. I sprayed it every day for four days and it killed all the torpedo grass without killing mt zoysia grass grass.I didn't spray my entire lawn, just the torpedo grass. I bought it at Lowes and mixed up a small batch. It's a concentrate.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/IMAGE-24-oz-Concentrate-Lawn-Weed-Killer/3156691