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Lawn Problem-Brown/dead? Spots

18 years ago

Hi, this is my first post so let me know if there is anything else you need to know to help me out. I have a cool season grass that I water everyother day for about 20 min each station. I'm on about 8,000sq ft. The lawn had looked fine up until a few weeks ago. It has been upper 90's for about 3 weeks. I have not aerated this year or de-thatched I applied some fertilizer at the beginning of the spring. Today I dug up 1sq ft to see what was going on underneath, there were no grubs and the soil was still moist. Any advice or opinions would be appreciated. These are the main areas around my yard. Should I be applying a fertilizer now?

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http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lawn008yl9.jpg

http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lawn010oj1.jpg

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Comments (2)

yarddoctor
18 years ago
Dear Billy,

Thank you very much for your inquiry. I have finally been able to see your pictures (my issue, not yours). This issue is a little puzzling considering your area and climate. My very first thought in these types of situations is irrigation coverage, meaning are all areas receiving equal amounts of water. You can be getting water, but is it enough? Please check the distribution and spray patterns of the heads around the affected areas, sometimes they will tell a story. Also, watch the same things in the best areas of your lawn and look for any differences.

A 0.5 lb N/1000 ft2 of urea based fertilizer would be appropriate now, and then make another application in early September.

Again, thanks for the question and let me know if you have more.

Respectfully

Trey Rogers, The Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor, YardDoctor.com
lawrencerein_aol_com
16 years ago
all summer its been very hot over 40 days of 90+. these areas of dead grass have been attracting our local squirrels. They pick up the loose dead grass and dig holes in the area also. I rake the area and the dead grass just peals up showing the clear dirt. I have used a 3 prong rake to dig up the exposed soil and not found any grubs. I don't know what is going on here. These areas are spotted around the lawn.
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Sodded 8 wk.ago; my first reaction is a dry spot. The intensity of the symptom appears to decrease outwards from the center of the area. Check if the sod in this area is as well rooted as in an unaffected area. Check two or three spots from the center outwards and see if there is enough moisture in the soil.Check the irrigation system for even coverage (break out the coffee cans). If it is not dry but, in reality, quite wet, it could be a fungus. I cannot think of one but I am sure that they are around. If both of these are eliminated and if the patch is growing in size, then it could be an insect. Check for them in the transition area. Soap flush 3 or 4 places. Hope that this helps you.
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The grass is going to grow like crazy in the early spring regardless of whether you fertilize. Professional grass farmers use their spring application of fertilizer to carry the grass from the time after that initial flush of growth into the summer. In other words they apply after the grass growth slows down. Hence the Memorial Day suggestion by tiemco. Seeding in the spring is not helping matters. You are probably going to water much more frequently to get that seed to sprout. If you would get all your 'densifying' done in the fall, you would be in better shape in the spring. Is your lawn all fescue with no Kentucky bluegrass? KBG would not work much in the shade.
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What does the white stuff like? Does it look cottony, or like very fine hairs on the grass blades? You might have some fungal disease. A picture would really help.
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