Struggling to revive a dying front lawn. We moved in during the winter and when spring came lawn was bright and healthy. Mowed it a little too short in the spring and I feel like that was the beginning of the end for the lawn. We’ve mown it 2x since May and it isn’t growing and there’s even a bald patch that I’ve attempting to reseed. We tried lawn fertilizer spray last week and I’ve seen no difference. I also aerated it a few days ago.
At this point I’m unsure if it’s fungus. We had a week of heavy rain at the end of May/Early June.
by residentspacecadet
35 Comments
I think you stressed it out early in the season with the short mows and now that it is hot, the lawn is more stressed and hibernating. Keep watering and mow high (when it needs it). Come fall hopefully it starts to recover.
Welcome friend
You’re growing a nice fungus patch. Too bad a bit of turf grass has crept in.
Root rot and could be chinch bugs
leave it alone it’s gone dormant and won’t come back until cooler temps and soil temps come down
Give it a tug test. If it pulls up, it’s dead. If it doesn’t pull up, it’s dormant and should recover in the fall. You can also check the crown of the grass. It’s the area right above the dirt where the roots and shoots attach. White equals alive, brown equals dead. Assuming it’s dormant, you can spray it with a lawn dye until it bounces back.
Grass is super stressed but not completely dead imo. Keep a normal (not overly done) water schedule, stop fertilizer (maybe a little K of the last one was all N because that helps summer stress), mow high, and repair on the fall.
Pretty much all the grass in my area looks like this. Not a lot of rain and hot days. Just wait until fall it will come back
Can’t complain about not having green grass in July when you didn’t prep it back in February. Aeration, organic top soil and the right fertilizer does help. Just a thought.
This is when you will learn that with the lawn, less is more. Doing too much will cause damage. Especially if you don’t know when and how to take certain actions. Fertilizing in July would be a mistake. You should start with reading up on the basics. Less is more
You guys have to stop cutting your grass so short in the dead of summer.
Length will keep it healthier through the heat. Put the mower on the highest deck setting and mow less often. The grass will safeguard itself better, and handle stress better… and you will have to mow less often.
It’s summer , it’s stressed it’ll come back
Check for chinch bugs
Looks like fungus to me. Try putting down fert/fungus control. Early morning watering only 1 inch a week
Your cool season grass is going dormant.
Don’t fight it Reduce watering so it doesn’t die off. Buy some seeds get some ironite to green it up a bit.
Late August just overseed and you’ll see it come full green.
Congratulations, you have a fungus. But and spread some fungicide and wait a week or so. May have to spread a second time looking at this.
Once it goes dormant it is a pain in the ass to wake up. Not only do you need to water it a ton, you need to prevent and / or correct the soil from turning hydrophobic. Once that happens kiss the season goodbye and start planning for the next season. The first thing to wake back up will be weeds which adds an additional layer to the problem. I would mow high and water a bunch (at least half an inch) twice a week. Any weeds would be pulled as soon as I got the chance. You also could throw down some quick growing seed and pray for good fortunes.
It’s gone dormant. It’ll be fine. Just water a little each week to keep it alive. When cooler temperatures come, then hit it with fertilizer and water to help it recover
Soil wetter. Use it a lot
What type of lawn is it
How much water are you putting on it
Check for grubs.
Low mowing is the most likely culprit and really helped my lawn that looked similar to this. I remember last summer every single lawn issue focus was deemed a fungus
You could have a mixture of grass which includes some fescues that don’t do too well in southern summers. It’ll come back when temps cool. Don’t over water it.
Consider overseeding with a consistent grass type for your area.
Do you water trees in the fall when the leaves drop? Grass goes in and out of season just like any other plant. Yall need to relax and know your grass types.
The concrete won’t grow any higher, you don’t have to worry about watering it too.
If you let it sleep for a month It’ll come back to you. Don’t fight nature, you’ll lose and with lawns it’s usually money.
I feel your pain. I have tons of trees in my yard so we use cool weather grass, but in the summer it suffers. Just to revive in the winter.
Your throwing parts at it.
Get liquid iron and spray it all over your yard. Be careful not to get it on anything but your grass as it will stain. Your grass will thank you.
Stop wasting water and accept the situation. Remove weeds if needed. And prep for fall.
Spend the 20 bucks for a soil analysis
Insecticide/fungicide/wetting agent
3 weeks later- slow release balanced granular fertilizer high in nitrogen + plant growth stimulator
Thank me later.
I’m in the same boat and now my wife wants to call TruGreen because the neighbors lawn isn’t as brown as ours. Is the a more sun tolerant species of grass seed we can use in the fall?
I see this a lot and I think it’s the type of grass. Can’t use those sun/shade mixes in a spot that’s mostly sunny. Also it’s the heat, some grass types can’t handle the heat
There’s some work to do and lots of good suggestions here. I’d just add some of that is mortal remains and a dethatching early fall will at least send that to compost. Then in with the overseeing AND mowing advice.