Oh and I forgot to ask - will this organic product with sulphur help control the fungus:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Monterey-Dr-Iron-21-lb-Organic-Lawn-Pellets-LG7122/202043621#.UeRHSqVzXlI

Oh and I forgot to ask - will this organic product with sulphur help control the fungus:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Monterey-Dr-Iron-21-lb-Organic-Lawn-Pellets-LG7122/202043621#.UeRHSqVzXlI

First, stop using chemicals- your dogs and your lawn will love you for it.

Second, treat fungus with corn meal applied at a rate of 20lbs per 1,000sf. Spread by hand or with a spreader and water in. Will see results in a couple weeks. You can get small amount at your local grocery store or get a 50lb bag at your local feed store.

Third, for your grubs, Heterohabditis nematodes. You will probably find these at your local nursery.

Read the link below for info on grub problems in your lawn.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/lawns/2000052853026568.html

As you may have noticed, these are all organic lawn care solutions. I also recommend heading over the organic lawn care forum on this website. I'm not trying to convert you over to organics or anything, but since you are concerned about your dogs, I would at least go over and read through the organic lawn care FAQ and some of the posts.

IMPORTANT- when you post, if possible, take and upload pictures of your issue. One overall and a couple up close on a cloudy day.

Hope this info helps with your situation.

Thanks beacivil! I actually have started taking an organic approach to the lawn - have been using organic fertilizer (and have not used any chemicals thus far)
Have you used the beneficial nematodes before? I have read about them - when would you release them? I read end July? assuming the jap beetle eggs have turned in to grubs? It sounds like the timing could be difficult? ie I don't want the grubs to eat anything though I wouldn't want to release the nematodes until the eggs have hatched?
Have you used and had success with corn meal yourself? I have read that some people think it works for fungus while others say that it has no effect... does corn meal prevent grass seed from germinating? I want to re-seed as soon as I can early Fall
What is a feed store in Massachusetts? I have no idea!
Thanks for any suggestions

I just checked the lawn today in more detail and saw several dying worms - does fungus do this? We usually have a lot of healthy earth worms which I know since we did a lot of tree planting this Spring and saw them when digging holes... the other thing is the lawn soil PH is between 3 in some places and 4/5 in others... I also found a beetle that had shed it's outer layer - which ones do this?

I'll give you a quick answer on the fungus, but I'm about to be away from the computer until tomorrow.

Two types of corn meal for two different things. Ordinary corn meal is used for fungus control. Yes, I and many others have had great success with using it, but other things factor into the success like mowing height, water frequency/amount, etc. Again, the Organic Lawn Care FAQ page will help you with that info. The other corn meal is corn glutten meal (CGM for short). Many people, including myself use it as a pre-emergence for keeping seeds from sprouting. In a nutshell, it's all about timing with getting it down and watered in before the ground warms up enough for weed seeds to sprout. Once they sprout, then you are actually feeding the weeds due to the high protein content in CGM. However, even then people have mixed results.

Anyways, your best overall solution to your problems, from grubs, to a healthy lawn, is to get your dirt as healthy as possible. This involves NO CHEMICALS (what you will find at the big box stores), a dirt sample test to Logan Labs in Ohio, soil amendments based on their recommendations, and getting caught up on watering, mowing, and fertilizing based on what type of grass you have. Again, look at the Organic Lawn Care FAQ page, and read over posts from the organic lawn care forum.

Don't forget to post pictures of your lawn problems, as well as what type of lawn you have, city/state you live, water and mowing regimen, etc. All these things are needed because they all differ based on location and type of lawn.

For example, my lawn is St. Augustine. I water an inch a week during the hot months here in Austin, Tx and mow at the highest mower setting I can, which is about 4 inches. I fertilize organically on the major holiday schedule with Alfalfa pellets at a rate of 20lbs per 1,000sf. The problem I am having is x. By the way, the example I gave is exactly my situation.

Google up on using the nematodes in your area- they are different/used differently for different areas of the u.s.
Also Google search for feed store in your area for the corn meal. Look for a farm supply store of some sort.

I just checked the lawn today in more detail and saw several dying worms - does fungus do this? We usually have a lot of healthy earth worms which I know since we did a lot of tree planting this Spring and saw them when digging holes... the other thing is the lawn soil PH is between 3 in some places and 4/5 in others... I also found a beetle that had shed it's outer layer - which ones do this?