# Why does my lawn thin so badly?



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

So i ask this believing that i already know the answer but would like to throw it out there anyways just to see.

This is what my lawn looked like in the Spring










And this is what it looks like now










First, living in Oregon we have very wet 40-50F degree winters, which is why the ground looks soggy after days and days of rain.

Second, ignore the poa popping through, you can see i sprayed it with Tenacity as a test. I didnt get any pre-emergent down due to timing with other life things going on at the time. I dont believe it is playing a part in other sections of the lawn thinning out so extreme.

This is the original lawn that was planted in '99 before i bought the house, and was only moderately maintained by the previous owner to keep it green and not much else. So a lot of the 'grass' is probably old contractor cheap varieties mixed in with the overseed i did with newer varieties in Spring.

The first is an image after being overseeded in Spring with a Rye/Fine Fescue blend.
Obviously the second image from today looks like crap. It was never diseased, or even browned, it just "disappeared" over the course of the last month of rains.

My thought is that in the first image a large portion of the grass that i am seeing is actual weed grass? Or fine fescue that has now died off for whatever reason?

My plan is to nuke this entire section(and the street strips) this fall and replant some ***/Rye blend, similar to what i did in my back yard this year that still looks much healthier.

I guess i just want to hear feedback on what causes this, so that i can work to ensure it doesnt happen again when i do reseed.


----------



## Wolverine (Jan 17, 2018)

Looks like you may have some drainage issues? Are you in clay?


----------



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

The surveys say our area is Sandy loam

https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/N/NEWBERG.html

I put down about 1/2" of compost across these sections when i reseeded last year which snuffed out a lot of the old grass i think, the new grass took over well during Spring/Summer but doesnt seem have have fared well in the wet winter?

That said, in that webpage near the bottom they state
"Newberg soils are subject to frequent or occasional flooding for brief periods from December to March unless protected."

I dont really know what they mean by "protected". I dont have any standing water, but it is always super damp during these rainy spells. For example i dont think we've had a dry day in the last 2 weeks, and wont see one for a while yet. Would putting down sand in the spring help this? Or just keep aerating and throwing compost down?


----------



## Wolverine (Jan 17, 2018)

I wouldn't add any more compost as it will only retain more moisture, I added 10 yards of compost to my 16k lawn last fall and over seeded. I did notice that the lawn definitely retains moisture longer, with that being said I would definitely aerate, maybe twice in the late summer and fall to help the soil drain. After that overseed. Keep in mind bluegrass will not make it in the shade. Fescue would be a better choice.


----------



## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

How much sun does that area get?


----------



## Tsmith (Aug 11, 2017)

Do you have any in between pics showing when this started? Did this start to happen during growing season or after?

If that started during growing season it could be a fungus problem


----------



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Tsmith said:


> Do you have any in between pics showing when this started? Did this start to happen during growing season or after?
> 
> If that started during growing season it could be a fungus problem


Unfortunately no, it started once the leaves started coming down no matter how diligent I was getting them off within a day or two. The rains just seem to make it worse


----------



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Pete1313 said:


> How much sun does that area get?


During this time of year we don't see sun for awhile. During spring and summer it gets a good amount.


----------



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Wolverine said:


> I wouldn't add any more compost as it will only retain more moisture, I added 10 yards of compost to my 16k lawn last fall and over seeded. I did notice that the lawn definitely retains moisture longer, with that being said I would definitely aerate, maybe twice in the late summer and fall to help the soil drain. After that overseed. Keep in mind bluegrass will not make it in the shade. Fescue would be a better choice.


I was going to just try some bewitched since I heard it is more shade tolerant? It would go in with my other seed.


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I'll just speak from my experience. Certain portions of my lawn where I haven't renovated look like that. I think it's mostly due to weeds and weedy grasses that have died off.


----------



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> I'll just speak from my experience. Certain portions of my lawn where I haven't renovated look like that. I think it's mostly due to weeds and weedy grasses that have died off.


Thats my hope, fingers crossed. My back yard with a elite 3 way rye blend for our area is still much more dense and it was just planted in fall. My hope is the same will happen when i reno this area in Fall...


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

FuzzeWuzze said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > I'll just speak from my experience. Certain portions of my lawn where I haven't renovated look like that. I think it's mostly due to weeds and weedy grasses that have died off.
> ...


Agreed. The areas that look better in the winter are the ones that I have either re seeded or renovated since moving in. I have patches of nothingness in my back and front yards righ now


----------

