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What is Poa Annua? Poa annua (Annual Bluegrass) is a wild annual grass that can show up anywhere and is found most often from late April through early June due to the large amount of tan-colored seed heads the plant is produces during this time. However, Poa annua will also rear its head as early… Read more »
Poa annua (Annual Bluegrass) is a wild annual grass that can show up anywhere and is found most often from late April through early June due to the large amount of tan-colored seed heads the plant is produces during this time. However, Poa annua will also rear its head as early as March if there is an extended period of warm weather in North Carolina (temperatures in the 60’s or above).
It is an extremely hardy plant that can grow in poor conditions where desirable turf will not, namely in areas where turfgrass is easily compacted – along roadways, Devil Strips (strips of grass between sidewalks and roadways) and along the sides of driveways with heavy foot or car traffic.
Poa annua actually begins to germinate in the fall, as early as late August, and continues to do so through the winter – the same time we typically seed Fescue in North Carolina.
Hence, this is why pre-emergent weed control for Crabgrass and Poa annua that is applied in January, February and early Spring does not control Poa annua – it’s simply too late. By that time, Poa annua is too mature, so pre-emergent applications will have no impact.
With Poa annua’s life cycle typically ending in late May or June, the ideal time to apply pre-emergent weed control on warm season turf such as Bermuda, Zoysia and Centipede is late summer into early fall. Doing so will provide roughly 70 percent control of Poa annua.
For cool season turf such as Fescue, product will need to be applied in November and again in December.
Fairway Green utilizes a split application of these products, which provides good control of Poa annua and annual weeds (roughly 70 to 80 percent, but not one hundred percent). Both applications are required to get the roughly 75 percent control.
As always, it’s crucial to remember that Poa annua is a prolific seeder, and any seeds that germinated last summer could still be viable this summer. Thus, Fairway Green recommends consistent product application to help prepare your yard for good health next year and beyond.