# Help! Worst lawn on the block!



## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

New to the site and hoping to get some expert advice!
Live in Kansas City, and this year it has been extremely hot.
YTD rain in my location is 9", vs typical 23" average by now.
Irrigation running M,W,F at 2:00 am and 2nd cycle at 4:00 am. 
Majority of zones get about 15 min each, so total of 30 min each day that it runs.
Any ideas what is wrong and how I can fix?
Thank you in advance!

JB


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

What's the problem, exactly?


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

sorry, pics didn't load for some reason. I'm trying to get them loaded


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Welcome to TLF Dont use safari to upload pictures. Chrome or firefox work better.

My guess is that you are not irrigating enough. Instead of just running your irrigation based on time, try to run it to get 3/4 - 1in of water. Place a tuna can or some other straight wall container and run until you get between 3/4 to 1in


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)




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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Does the dead grass sod pull up easily like a toupee?


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

No it does not. No sign of grubs. A while back I put down Lebanon Pro Fertilizer with Merit 0.2% Grub Preventer


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## scz71864 (Mar 21, 2018)

It looks like that area may not be getting enough water because it's on a hill. When's the last time you have aerated?


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## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

When areas of my lawn looked like yours does now, I found a bed of rocks of various sizes under the soil. 
Makes me wonder if roots are struggling. That and lack of sufficient water. FWIW.


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

It's been 2 years since I've aerated. This is my front yard. Slight slope maybe 10:1. For 8 years now yard has looked fine. What I don't get is generally the sides of the front yard look great, but not the middle; I have 4 irrigation heads at corners all rotating back and forth, which gives the middle more water.


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## probasestealer (Apr 19, 2018)

1. Stick a screwdriver in the bad spots. It should push in fairly easily. If not check for debris. If it's just HARD, report back (you may need to soften the soil or apply organics).
2. You need to change irrigation. You want to water deeply 1-2x per week not daily (about 1" weekly). Daily and/or shallow watering promotes shallow roots and intolerance to heat/drought.
3. You'll need to do some seeding this fall, but I'm pretty sure you knew that.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Do your irrigation head spray each other? Meaning the stream of one needs to hit each corner. If so, then the center should be fine. I do think you are under watering. Do the tuna can test with at least a can in the middle and one in the best looking area and one in the worst.


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

Appreciate all the ideas so far. I'll test the screwdriver tonight and report back.
Yes, the sprinkler head sprays overlap each other. I will do the tuna can test.
Still it feels like more than lack of water. 4 to 6 weeks ago when started noticing change; on weekend days I would place a pulsating sprinkler over the area and let it run for an hour or two, but no improvement. Talking with neighbor he isn't really watering at all and his grass mostly is just dormant, not dead like mine. Could it be a fungus/disease?


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

> Could it be a fungus/disease?


Based on the pattern and with grubs eliminated, that would be my next choice.
Look for any lesions on living grass blades next to the dead areas.

EDIT: Conducting the screwdriver test for debis is easy, so you might want to do that and at least eliminate it.
Ditto with observing your sprinkler head pattern.


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

Are those lesions on that last pic, in the center?


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

So it would appear. You'll need someone to identify possible diseases and curative. Not my area of expertise.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

The way the dead grass looks so completely fried and dead, plus the patterns in the dead zones, I'd suspect pythium as a possibility. Screwdriver test should tell the tale. If it's well hydrated, it's very likely fungus.

Irrigation 3x per week can be a necessity in Summer depending on soil type and solarization. Conversely, if you have good soil and it holds the water well, especially in any partial shade areas, 3x per week will not let it dry out enough between waterings.


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

Did the screwdriver test. Went in fairly easy, some spots about 4 in and some down to 6 in. Pretty much the same between dead areas and green areas, maybe a tad harder in the dead areas but not a huge difference.


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## erickdaniels (Jun 29, 2018)

I see you have fescue... me thinks fungus! No way that area will recover but you can for sure stop the spread with fungicide. I recommend azoxy and prop.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

did you check your irrigation?


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

g-man said:


> did you check your irrigation?


Not yet for the tuna can test. Spotty rain today, and storms tonight. Will report back on results of test once complete, most likely in a couple days.
Thanks for everyones input so far!


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

No tuna can test yet. Spotty rain today with storms tonight. Will complete test in the next couple days and report back. Thanks for everyone's input so far!


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## jbinkc (Jul 27, 2018)

jbinkc said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > did you check your irrigation?
> ...


Completed the tuna can test. Interesting results. Ran irrigation for 30 minutes total, with 5 test points in my front yard.
Point #1 = 3/16", Point #2 = 1/4", Point #3 = 3/16", Point #4 = 1/4", Point #5 = 1/16"
I think I can adjust one sprinkler head to improve the depth in Point #5 going forward.
In terms of best looking grass, point numbers go in this order: Point #1 is best, point #2, point #4, point #5, point #3 is worst.

Point #1 was set in the best looking grass, at the top of the picture #1 provided at the beginning of the post.
Point #3 was set in a section of dead grass, in the middle of picture #3.
Test results show that these 2 locations got the same amount of water (3/16").
So it seems like it has to be some type of fungus. Agree?

It was great to do the test as going in I assumed I'd get about a 1/2" in each can. I was irrigating the front yard 3 times per week for 30 minutes total each morning, so clearly I wasn't getting an 1" per week and the small amounts were spread out over the week. I think going forward, I'll concentrate 1 day on getting say half of the zones near the 1" mark, and then another day on the other zones; versus currently all zones on a given day but only a small amount. Does that seem like a sound approach?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Sounds like fugus was at play. Irrigation practices could help you. We are going into the fall, so I would focus on fixing your irrigation to get even coverage (same qty in all test points). If you fix it now, then next summer you are good to go. In the peak of summer, I tend to apply 3/4in when needed(when the lawn starts to show stress every ~4 days).


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