Lawn disease

Question: Could you please identify this disease or fungus and give me advice on how to treat it. Thanks

responder: Dick M.  Replied July 20, 2023, 10:46 PM EDT
response: Lots of questions...When did it start?  Were all areas shown affected at once or did it start small and grow to what is shown?  Do you irrigate, if yes what time of day and how much?  Do you fertilize your lawn, how much & when?  Do you apply weed killer, what and when?  Do you have a thatch buildup, if yes how thick?  Do the affected areas follow the tracks of your mower when you mow?  Please email me back answers to each of these questions to provide more information so I can attempt to provide an answer.  The photos do not provide enough info to give an answer. I recommend doing a soil test on your lawn to learn more about your soil including soil type, pH, nutrient levels and more. Knowing the type and fertility of your soil is the starting point to establishing & maintaining a strong turf that can resist diseases, moss and insects/grubs and look great. More info here: Don't Guess-Soil Test-MSU and MSU Home Soil Test-self mailer

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 21, 2023, 9:34 AM EDT
response: I will attempt to answer your questions to the best of my ability. In early spring my grass looked lush and green, I fertilized withnScotts pre-emergent in April.I planned to apply fertilizer in early June but due to the hot dry wheather I did not. I began to notice brown areas in June and yes, now that you ask they did seem to follow the lawn mower tracks. The areas have grown as time went on. I watered once but usually do not due to expensive water bill. I had one very weedy part in my lawn so I put weed killer on that section but not the whole lawn as the rest was pretty weed free.This may or may not be related but on one side of my driveway,each year the grass resembles the pictures I enclosed. It has been a battle for many years and we have reseeded a couple of times and even sodded once, each time the new grass looks great for about two years and then starts dying in areas again.I had a soil test done on that area and they just recommended the usual fertilizer program. In addition my soil is a  lot of clay and I have it areated sprint and fall. I hope this helps you in diagnosing my problem and I really appreciate your help. Thanks again.  Pat

responder: Dick M.  Replied July 25, 2023, 11:48 PM EDT
response: Another question:  Did you do a MSU soil test?  If yes, send me the 6 digit access code so I can review it.  If no, can you send me a scan of the results?  If your soil test was not done within the past 2 years you should do another one on the problem side of the drive per the link in my first reply.  You state that one side of the drive has the problem (which shows up 2 yr after reseeding) and not the other so we need to concentrate on that side.  Does water drain off the drive toward the problem side?  I'm not sure you have a disease problem.  It might be soil fertility, compaction and/or grubs.   Aeration of clay soil is needed at times.  I hope it is CORE aeration.  A week before core aeration you should fertilize with 0.5# of nitrogen per 1000SF.  After core aeration you should rake in 1/4" to 1/2" of compost over the lawn problem area to help break up the clay and add organic material.  Read the attached articles on core aeration: Core Aeration of Lawns-MSU Core Aeration of Lawns-Iowa St Lawn aeration-UMd

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 26, 2023, 1:44 PM EDT
response: Lawn problemSent from my iPad On Jul 25, 2023, at 11:48 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Dick M.  Replied July 26, 2023, 10:30 PM EDT
response: I received a reply from your iPad but it was empty.  Did you mean to send more comments/info or no?

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 10, 2023, 4:13 PM EDT
response: Sorry you did not get my reply I will try again. Problem started with random spots and then more spots appeared so,the lawn looks as pictured. I usually fertilize with pre-emergent then in June and then sepetember. This year I did not fertilize after the pre-emergent in April due to the dry spell and then the dead spots in my lawn I was afraid to add more of anything. I have not watered but once, I have not put down weed killer this season, I do not have thatch. I have my lawn aerated spring and fall, the kind of aeration that pulls plugs of soil. I just ordered a soil test but that cost is $33 dollars so can not do it often. I wish there was a cheaper alternative as I have flower beds that I would like to have tested but that is too expensive to do often. One other question you asked was if the affected areas followed the lawn mower tracts-answer -they seemed to at the beginning. Hope this gives you enough information to help me. Thanks for your attention to this.Sent from my iPad On Jul 20, 2023, at 10:46 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Dick M.  Replied August 14, 2023, 9:00 PM EDT
response: I'm interested in your soil test results.  Hopefully it's only for the problem part of your lawn.  (for your next soil test try MSU's soil test, it only costs $26.00)  Let me know the results of your test as I hope the data will reveal a cause to your turf woes.  I'm still wondering if it may be a problem w/ excess soil compaction, lack of soil fertility and/or grubs.  Check out the attached link for how to check for grubs, but wait until mid Sept as there aren't any grubs big enough to find yet. How to Choose & Apply Grub Control Products-MSU More questions:  If you pull up on the dead grass does it pull up like carpet (if yes, may be grubs) or break off in handfuls at the crown (if yes, may be sod webworms or billbugs).  Let me know what you find out and please send me a scan of your soil test results when you get it.

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 26, 2023, 7:57 PM EDT
response: I’m back with soil test results.the soil test number isBG73M.I hope you can look them over and translate for me. I see I need potassium however fertilizers don’t contain potassium anymore.I also would just like to know in easily understood terms (guess im not too bright) what fertilizer I should buy. Also using these results plus knowing I have my lawn aerated twice a year do you still think my problem is not a fungus or disease? Last question, what to do about all the dead spots I sent you pics of. Can I just throw down grass seed after I have it aeriated? What else should I do ,keeping in mind that I am a widow with no fancy equipment and not a ton of money. Thanks again for your help

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responder: Dick M.  Replied August 29, 2023, 10:50 PM EDT
response: I found your soil test (BG73TM).  You have low potassium.  Potassium promotes natural plant resistance to disease, drought, cold and heat damage.  This is at least a contributing factor to your lawn problem because you mention the spots occurring when it  gets hot and dry in the summer, suggesting shallow roots. Because you tell me the problem is only on one side of your drive I do not think it is a disease because your mower mows both sides.  You also tell me when newly planted, grass grows fine for 2 years or so before starting to die again.  These symptoms make me wonder about soil compaction that is deeper than the core aeration can reach.  I also wonder about soil layering (a thin layer of topsoil over subsoil) which roots do not penetrate well. Please read these links to articles on soil layering problems: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/cultivation_of_lawns_e0003turf  -  read: cultivation equipment, depth of cultivation, soil compaction and soil layering sections and compare recommendations to your core aeration results. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/common-soil-problems You asked about general fertilization.  Look for a 'winterizer' fertilizer (32-0-10 or 22-0-14 or something similar) as it should have a higher concentration of potassium to raise this value in your soil.  Try to get a fertilizer with 40%-60% slow release (water insoluble) nitrogen as well, as it lasts longer.  Go to a lawn and garden center or a nursery and ask for help with this.  I would even take a copy of your soil test with you or the ability to access it on a phone or iPad  type device. Fertilizer Basics - more info Fertilizing Established Cool-Season Lawns-Purdue What to do....  I'd reseed the dead areas, but use a garden fork to loosen the soil 4" to 5" deep (as much as you can) before raking some compost & starter fertilizer in.  Then add seed and a cover of straw.  More (re)-seeding info in these links: Establishing A New Lawn Using Seed (E2910)-MSU Lawn Establishment Steps-PSU Renovating A Lawn for Quality & sustainability-UMN Lawn Renovation & Over-seeding-UMass