# Diagnosis on what went wrong?



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

So my yard went from this in June
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/e8f9rv4ovq2vwuk/2017-09-08%2014.21.25.jpg?dl=0

To this currently
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/zl7tpynkrej4fct/2017-09-05%2018.03.47.jpg?dl=0

Here's a close up
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/0nn3f614hgekloy/2017-09-05%2018.03.56.jpg?dl=0

Obviously in June it's going to look it's best than at the end of summer but I'm still concerned how dead or dormant it is for how much water im putting down. All 5 separate lawn pieces are just tinted brown with plenty of green still poking through.

I've done Milo on the recommended time table, and even tried throwing .5n 16-16-16 down a few weeks ago with no luck.

This is the original lawn the house came with in 99 I'm fairly sure and has a mix of rye, tall and fine fescue I'm sure among other things.

Im looking at nuke renovating next year for elite prg blend(gotta deal with hoa) but would like to figure out what happened this year. Others yards do not look like this in my neighborhood, they are either dormant or mostly green(watered)

Watered 2 times a week for .5 inches each watering, more when it was hot, I'm using a rachio to control.

This spring I also overseeded everything with a 70% rye 30% fine fescue blend of better than average varieties and some midnight ***, before I realized *** doesn't grow well here In western oregon because of how wet we are.

So my thoughts are either disease, the fine fescue and other crap varieties going dormant in the heat, or maybe even just the *** that did grow going dormant.

I'm not thinking disease because I have 5 separate unconnected sections of lawn all showing this, the shadiest section looks the best.

Help me masters of cool season grasses, your my only hope.


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

24 out of 55 or so days you were at or above 90 degrees F, with several stretches of 100 degree F plus weather. Your "after pics" look like heat stress, plain and simple. Try to limit traffic, stick to your irrigation regimen, no herbicides, and wait for a few more weeks 70s/50s (hi/lo) to see how the grass responds. I would also hold off on fertilizer for the time being until you get into the more predictably cooler, seasonable weather. Intuition is to fertilize and try to "grow out" of this stress period however, the energy expended for simple recovery right now would be diverted into processing excess nutrient uptake. It sounds like your fertility plan worked and much of the nutrients applied are still out there and available for use.

Give it a few weeks and definitely take pics every day or two. When you feel your grass looks poor, photos are the real story teller on the incremental improvement you will see in the near future.

Remember, in agriculture the only thing that happens quickly is crop failure. Be patient and stay the course. Best of luck!


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

We are looking to be heading into our more normal 70s weather pattern next week. I had planned on slit seeding and fertilizing, should I hold off? I did nuke my back yard and am planning on dry running the slit seeder to pull up as much dead matted down fine fescue as I can before I reseed with one of the best prg blends out there based on ntep( PhD rye blend). The rest of the yard will get my leftover 3 way rye blend from last year since my end goal is too nuke the other areas next year and reseed with PhD if my back yard goes well.


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

If you're going with PRG and have the forecast in store that I just looked up, you can do about anything you want as far as seeding. Ryegrass will establish better with limited competition from your existing stand of grass. I would be prepared to do a 4-6 lb/M seeding out of the gate and perhaps another seeding of 2-4 lb/M depending on how well your initial seeding establishes.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

What's per M? I've been slowly lowering my mow height and planned to get it as low as possible before slit seeding. While the slit seeder is a bit expensive to rent it's cheaper than broadcasting, buying peat and renting a roller.

From everything I've seen if I'm slit seeding at .25 inches there's no need for top dressing?


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

M = 1,000 in Roman numerals and as such M is customarily used to abbreviate 1,000 square feet. K is avoided because it can be easily confused with Potassium.

You need a minimum of 1/8" seeding depth for a reasonable germination rate. This is especially true with Kentucky bluegrass.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Good advice, and out of curiosity, would syringing the lawn in heat situations like he was experiencing have helped with the stress? Being a warm season grass guy, I know it's a practice that is used when the heat really cranks up, but not sure if it would aid OP in the future. Plus, I plan on moving to a milder climate in the future.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> Good advice, and out of curiosity, would syringing the lawn in heat situations like he was experiencing have helped with the stress? Being a warm season grass guy, I know it's a practice that is used when the heat really cranks up, but not sure if it would aid OP in the future. Plus, I plan on moving to a milder climate in the future.


Yea I would like to know if there's anything I can do to mitigate the damage, does misting or a quick 1 min pass of the sprinklers in the afternoon at peak heat help?

This was a very weird year, our rains lasted a month longer, and so has our summer heat, and like most places setting record highs as well.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I did some research earlier this year around syringing. http://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=594

I would avoid adding any more fine fescues (creeping red). They don't like high temperatures.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This is a fine fescue lawn from my neighborhood during this summer. It sits in full sun.


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## Roosterchest (Aug 3, 2017)

g-man said:


> This is a fine fescue lawn from my neighborhood during this summer. It sits in full sun.


This could easily be my side yard! I hate fine fescue and think it should be banned. If it's too shady to grow other grass, put mulch down.

I used a slit seeder on my back yard a few weeks ago and had great germination. Now, I covered lightly with grass/peat. Not sure if it needed it. When I ran the machine I really couldn't see the seed on the ground...at first I wasn't sure if it was working properly--it was. I used the Toro model. It's hydraulic and worked great.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

g-man said:


> This is a fine fescue lawn from my neighborhood during this summer. It sits in full sun.


That was large areas of my back yard, so i went full nuke on it and really am super stoked to plant this 3 way rye blend. So tired of the fine fescue grass that lays over on itself and doesn't mow properly.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Roosterchest said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > This is a fine fescue lawn from my neighborhood during this summer. It sits in full sun.
> ...


I'd be interested in your slit seed process. I take it you slit seeded rye? or fescue? Did you spread the seed then run the slit seeder over the lawn, or run the slitter over the lawn and then spread seed?


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## Roosterchest (Aug 3, 2017)

I rented a toro slitseeder. I did a practice run over the yard with no seed to get a feel for the machine. Then I put a 50/50 blend of PRG/KBG in the seed hopper of the machine and went over the yard twice at half rate. Once was sided to side and the other was 45 degrees to that.

All seed was put into the hopper and distributed that way---I did not broadcast before or after.

I think the Toro is a better machine than the Classen. I've heard people having issues with the Classen hopper dropping seed, etc.

If I had it to do over again I'm torn on whether to slit seed or broadcast and cover with peat. I covered the ground after slit seeding and I don't think I needed to do that.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Roosterchest said:


> I rented a toro slitseeder. I did a practice run over the yard with no seed to get a feel for the machine. Then I put a 50/50 blend of PRG/KBG in the seed hopper of the machine and went over the yard twice at half rate. Once was sided to side and the other was 45 degrees to that.
> 
> All seed was put into the hopper and distributed that way---I did not broadcast before or after.
> 
> ...


Curious how much of the dead fescue did you get out? Even scalped some portions are still covered in dead grass. I was going to slit seed with it empty to pull some up but i figured the new seed would be able to pop through. Did you get it raked out to bare dirt?


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## Roosterchest (Aug 3, 2017)

I killed the grass with glyphosate and scalped as low as the mower would go; under 1" is my guess. You don't need to remove all the dead grass. The slit seeder will put the seed into the ground so you will have soil contact. I was shocked at how well it put the grass seed into the ground.

My thinking is that if you are going to kill everything, broadcast and cover might be the better method depending on yard size. For a simple overseed, I would definitely use a slit seeder because you are getting seed to soil contact while removing thatch.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Roosterchest said:


> I killed the grass with glyphosate and scalped as low as the mower would go; under 1" is my guess. You don't need to remove all the dead grass. The slit seeder will put the seed into the ground so you will have soil contact. I was shocked at how well it put the grass seed into the ground.
> 
> My thinking is that if you are going to kill everything, broadcast and cover might be the better method depending on yard size. For a simple overseed, I would definitely use a slit seeder because you are getting seed to soil contact while removing thatch.


Well i can rent the seeder for 60 for a day, if i broadcast i need at least 8 bales of peat, probably more at 11 each, plus spreading it around i don't have to do for slit seeder. So pretty sure that's the route for me. Ill probably overseed very lightly after and just roll it in lightly with my mowers weighted striper


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## Roosterchest (Aug 3, 2017)

good plan


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