One of the fundamental problems with KBG is how long it takes for the seeds to germinate.  While some of the seeds, under ideal conditions, can germinate in 5 to 8 days, 14 to 21 is more common. As such, it is very difficult to overseed bare areas in an existing lawn as the irrigation requirements for germinating seeds are the opposite of existing grass (deep and infrequent vs. light and often).  An additional problem is that you can’t use a pre-emergent on existing turf if you want to seed into it.

Planting pots of sod is a great solution for creating patches of existing sod that you can plant into your lawn to repair damaged areas or those that had poor germination at the time of seeding.  If you are renovating, having 20 or 30 six inch KBG pots is a great insurance policy for the inevitable wash-out or animal damage.

How To Identify Quackgrass

Quackgrass is the only grassy weed you'll find that has clasping auricles. The auricles of this weed look like tan claws that wrap around the stem. On more mature Quackgrass, the auricles can have a blood-colored tint to them.  Quackgrass is one of those weeds you can't identify from the curb. You’ll need to walk up to the plant, tear off a stem and have a close look to confirm what you're looking at. The two pictures below clearly show the clasping auricles that are a telltale sign you're looking at Quackgrass. Notice how one of the auricles wraps around the stem above the other.  On mature specimens, this is commonplace.  Also notice how in the second pic, the auricles have a blood color to them. As Quackgrass matures, it's common for the auricles to look that way.