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Need Help Identifying Problem In My Lawn

15 years ago

I live in Massachusetts, and have a pretty healthy lawn. However, late last summer, and this summer, I noticed several areas in my lawn that have started to brown out. The grass in these areas just pulls up, and has no roots. I do not have grubs, as I have scoured the area and can not find one grub in the lawn. I also treat the lawn for grubs twice a year. At one time someone told me what the weed was, and said it would just take over the grass. Unfortunaltey, I can't remember what the weed was called. Can anyone tell me what may be going on in the lawn? This weed seems to be spreading in the lawn.

Featured Answer

fourstringdrums

15 years ago

A weed won't kill grass like that. I think you may have a Fungus of some sort or possibly Chinch Bugs.

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Comments (8)

markinspringborooh
15 years ago
Why don't you post a digital picture or two ?
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Where do you live? Nashville Is there shade falling on the thin areas? No, close to full sun in most areas. What is your watering plan? How often do you water and for how long? I haven't started regularly watering the grass yet. As I mentioned, the grass floods when we get rain. How high/low do you mow? I use the highest setting. When were the last two times you fertilized and what did you use? I fertilized with a locally-blended mix last Fall (don't know the percentages, but it was mixed for my specific soil type) I do believe the brown strands to be thin bermuda, as you say. They have never really greened up, thickened and reached skyward. The rest of the grass turns green and doesn't really get too long, even if I don't cut it for a few weeks. Really, the weeds are what give me the indication that I need to cut it. How do I get this 'thin bermuda' to thicken. Would aeration help with the drainage? Should I overseed with bermuda, or perhaps use another grass? Thanks! Jared
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prmadonna1
Original Author
15 years ago
Could it be some type of weedy grass? It resembles grass until it browns out, and then when you pull the stuff up there is absolutley no root system. The dirt benethe the surface is smooth.

I've had my lawn care company (Tru-Green Chem lawn)over to try to identify the problem but they have no answers.
conngirl
15 years ago
I had the same problem here in Connecticut. I don't know what type of grasssy weed it was, but it almost looked like a bermuda grass or bent grass. It has no root systemand spreads by stolens it appears. I killed everything (20,000 square feet) with round up and reseeded with KBG. So far so good. Because this grass has no root system, it turns brown very quickly come the first frost. I thought maybe cinch bugs, but the grasssy weed was very much alive and thriving on it's own. I don't have grubs and have never seen a cinch bug as of today in that lawn.
philes21
15 years ago
It may be a very healthy infestation of poa annua. That grass starts browning and disappearing about now, in the heat. Re seed the areas with KBG, get it growing, and figure on fighting the poa battle with pre emergents for the next two years.

For the thought about 'bentgrass', I'd like you to look up pictures of Nimblewill, which is a weed with an angled growth, and i've had several people tell me they have 'bent grass' and they really had nimblewill.
jtcm05
15 years ago
From the sound of it, it's definitely grubs.
stuckidog
15 years ago
I think it is one of two things. It could be brown spot (a fungus) which would come in a green, moist lawn with warm humid weather.

The other option is...a dog. Have you noticed a dog in your yard? My front lawn has no spots, but my back lawn (where the Yorkie plays) has brown spots where the grass just pulls right up like you described. Eventually it goes down to bear soil and I either have to overseed or wait for the other grass to fill it in. These spots are right where my dog pees. It's a small dog so the spots are small.

You won't have big thick rings around it if your lawn is already pretty green and also if it is a small dog.

I hope you kind find out what it is!
jtcm05
15 years ago
"The grass in these areas just pulls up, and has no roots"

a fungal or dog urine problem will not cause this

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