It competes very successfully with warm season and cool-season turfgrasses during summer months and is most competitive in thin open turfs and turfs subject to intense traffic or use. Close mowing and frequent watering enhance goosegrass competition. It is a very troublesome grassy weed in athletic fields, golf greens, tees and fairways, and other turfgrasses that are mowed short. Preemergence herbicides used for crabgrass control are less effective on goosegrass. Goosegrass may also be controlled by postemergence application of an arsonate herbicide in certain turfgrasses.
Annual bluegrass is a light green, bunch-type to slightly spreading, winter annual weedy grass.
Some subspecies are classified as short-lived perennials. These perennial types are particularly evident in bentgrass golf greens. Preemergence herbicides applied in the fall before annual bluegrass emerges give effective control in home lawns, athletic fields and golf course fairways. Preemergence herbicides do not appear to be effective on the perennial subspecies. However, postemergence chemicals are now available which will selectively control annual bluegrass in golf course greens and permit the over seeding of perennial ryegrass.