Is this grass or is it a weed and how to fix it

Hi

A few years ago I laid a new lawn with turf. This year some larger tufts of faster growing plants have appeared in the lawn. They look like a type of grass but very different from normal grass. They are very noticeable and lighter in colour and a bit scrubby. How can I get rid of these patches? Would it be possible to dig these patches up and maybe put more turf in their place?
The area was previously covered in concrete slabs which I cleared to plant the lawn. Under the slabs was a layer of black weed fabric so I don't think they have come from under the lawn . In the spring after the first year I added new seed as there were some bare patches I wondered if they might have come with this new seed.

 

Likely a rye grass, windblown seed. Probably you could remove with old knife, cutting around and pulling as you have only a few. Fill any holes you make with top soil, the other grasses will likely spread to cover. Is it likely its come in from the roadside verges, which seem only to be cut on a whim these days?

 

Thanks for the reply. I think you are right that its rye grass and annoyingly as I suspected it came with the new seed I put down. I remembered I brought seed for shady areas as the lawn is under trees and I think I remember it saying it had rye grass in it. I guess I will need to dig it out and put new turf on those bits again in the autumn.

 

Rye grass is commonly used in mixes for domestic lawns as it is very robust and tolerates mowing very well. The tufts look more the colour of annual meadow grass to me, which could well have been blown in or part of the dormant seed bank in the ground. Seeds can remain dormant for incredibly long periods.
You should be able to easily dig or pull them out and reseed the areas.

 

I agree that it's more likely meadow grass. It comes up here at the drop of a hat every time I weed an existing bed or make a new one. Not hard to remove if you can moisten the soil first or wait for rain.

 

Thanks I feel a bit more confident to pull it out now. Would it be better to wait for autumn to do it as I'm worried it might be a bit hot for the seeds or is it ok to do it now. I guess its easy enough to water the spots I've reseeded

 

Pull it out now before it spreads and sets seed. Don't re-sow bare patches till september when it's still warm but there should have been enough rain to moisten the soil and germinate the grass seed.

 

Agree, pull it out now.

 

I'd pull it out too

 

It looks to me like one of the broad-leaved "weed" grasses like yorkshire fog. They tend to be a lot coarser, lighter coloured and faster growing than even the rye grass that's in "utility" lawn seed mixtures. The solution is the same though - dig them out if you don't like them, fill any holes with compost, add a bit of your grass seed if you have any left.