"B Naujok" wrote in message
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Late last spring, I sowed a cool season grass mix on our yards after
digging out the old weed patch. It consisted of Highland Bent,
Kentucky Blue, Perr Rye and Fine Fescue.

In the last couple of weeks with minimal rain here in Melbourne, one
of the grasses has sprouted the linked seeding fronds (??), while the
rest of the grass is looking pretty yellow.

Pic of seeds:
http://members.optushome.com.au/bnau...edingGrass.jpg


As Trish said, it definitely is a Ryegrass, I am certain it's perennial
ryegrass, as this is commonly found in the grass mix you mentioned.
The rest of the grass that is looking yellow, is probably a result of lack
of water, and annual grasses dying off (if any).

Also, on a side issue, in the backyard, the grass turned out pretty
clumpy and is not spreading out and flattening. I have no idea on how
it improve it. I chose this as I thought with suitable maintanence, it
should be pretty similar to a golf fairway. The couch (I think) on the
nature strip is a nice low flat and even bed of grass. Any ideas?

BN.

As part of my studies in my apprenticeship, we used a very similar mix to
re-establish a worn part at the Tafe. The only trick was to get even
coverage.
Seeing it come up, nice and green, I thought it would be a good idea to do
my parents backyard the same, as it was full of weeds, some couch, and some
kyke (a real mix of others too).
It looked good for about 6-12 months, then some weeds came up in it, and it
started to go quite bumpy, like you mention. Even though the surface was
quite smooth when sowed.
The reason for this, is I am quite sure the ryegrass is a "clumping" form,
not running like couch. So really, the whole lawn is made of small "clumps",
which are bumpy.
Eventually I killed it all off, and planted the lawn with couch runner, spot
spraying anything else that came up.

Now in my job I find that the mix mentioned is more used as a "stabiliser"
where couch isn't needed. In the roughs along the side of the fairway or out
of bound areas, where it may have been worn, or needed to be dug up. The
seed was a cheaper and quicker way to make it look good and stop erosion.
I have also seen the same mix of seeds sold as "lawn repair". The I think,
being the same reason as above, but in a household situation.

Top dressing won't really get rid of the bumps, as new seed dropping will
sprout on top of the "topdress", so be higher, and still bumpy.
If you want to keep it, then buy more seed of the same mix, and sow it, to
thicken it up. Have a look at the percentages on the box, and usually
perennial ryegrass is the bigger percentage.

Good luck

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