Directions for planting lawn grass yearly

Question: I planted tall fescue last year, but it did not grow well in some spots. I have read that you are required to put down grass sead yearly. I has the dirt tested and bought fertilizer that was correct for my dirt. It has been 3 days since I put it on my lawn. I would appreciate any help from you. I live in Albany, Oregon.

                                                                                                                                       Cheers, Stan

responder: Deb K  Replied May 15, 2023, 7:43 PM EDT
response: Hi Stan,    It's must be frustrating to see those dead and yellow patches in a new lawn!  I suspect your problem is cranefly. The cranefly larvae (called leather Jackets) eat the grass roots and shoots. From the picture it looks like you have little areas where the grass has been pulled out.  That is indicative of skunks digging for grubs at night.  To determine if cranefly are the problem, select three or four random areas on the lawn. Measure a 12 inch square. Cut three sides of the square and peel it back. Dig up the top layer of soil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches and look for larvae. The larvae are usually found at the base of the vegetative layer (thatch) or very shallow in the soil. In areas of heavy infestation where the lawn is quite bare, the larvae will be found deeper in the soil than in spots where some green grass remains. I've included a link to an OSU publication which has a picture of the larvae you will be looking for. http://pnwhandbooks.stage.extension.oregonstate.edu/insect/hort/turfgrass/turfgrass-crane-fly Please let me know what you find.

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 16, 2023, 8:23 PM EDT
response: I am going to walk you through what I did during planting. I took out more dirt than I should have. I filled it with river loom and then 2 inches of topsoil. Then the grass seed. I covered it with peat moss. When I covered it with peat moss, I thought that it required 2 inches but I was really wrong. I was only to use 1/4 of an inch. I took off the excess as well as I could without hitting the seeds. I think I made it too acidic in places. The grass in places did not grow correctly. These are the yellow spots that you are seeing now. These pics are from the side yard where I did not put down too much peat moss. As you can see there are spots where the grass is much darker and grow much faster. The dirt you see is from pulling up weeds and replanting grass. The test kit I used was from " My Soil" The samples were no deeper than 1 inch. I am still looking for the results to send you. Do you offer comprehensive analysis testing for deep cores. I am hoping that this can be fixed short of having to start over. What are your thoughts?                                                               Cheers, Stan On Mon, May 15, 2023 at 4:43 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Deb K  Replied May 17, 2023, 12:16 PM EDT
response: Hi Stan,    I can see where 2 inches of peat moss would make it difficult for the fescue seeds. The pH of peat moss can be as low as 3.0. I'm not sure how much it would impact the pH level of the soil beneath it though.  Tall fescue grows on soils that vary from strongly acidic (pH 4.5) to alkaline (pH 9.0) . Best growth occurs when soil pH is maintained between 5.5 and 7.5 Once the roots got past the peet moss, It should be ok.  You can take a soil sample to the Master Gardeners (MG) desk at the extension office and they can provide a pH test for no charge. If you want a more complete soil profile test, you will need to go through an analytical soil testing lab. I've added a link to a list of labs that service Oregon. https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em8677/html Here is a guide for collecting a soil sample. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/pub/ec-628  Another possibility is a fungal disease. You can bring a sample of the grass to your MG help desk   (Include the roots and soil in the sample; Bring both heathy, unhealthy grass ) Here's an OSU publication on diseases in lawns:  https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/index.php/lawn-problems/plant-diseases And here's a  publication on maintaining a healthy lawn. https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/property-guides/prevent-lawn-problems  I hope this info will be helpful!