pest or soil problem?

Question: I have a naturalized yard, no mowing and lots growing! This year I noticed a certain variety of grasses (?) are turning yellow, brown, spotted. At first I thought they were getting scorched in the heat & the extra sun in our yard due to a neighborhood taking down 3 mature maple trees (for no reason?) But I zoomed in closer with my phone camera and it looks like just these particular grasses have this problem. What is it? What should i do?Thank you for your help!

responder: *Please Note: If there is mention of trade names in this response, it is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute an endorsement of one product over another, nor is discrimination intended against any product.  Thank you for contacting Ask Extension. Please contact us again with any gardening questions you may have, or call the MSUE State Hotline at 1-888-678-3464  Replied April 21, 2023, 10:08 AM EDT
response: Hello Lisa, Do you know what type of grass this is? You didn't mention if it flowers. If so, what color are the flowers? Did you plant this or did it just show up in your yard? How long has this been in your garden? Has this happened to the plant in other years?  I believe this plant might be Star of Bethlehem, but that plant produces white flowers. It's an early season bulb that comes up in April, blooms for about 2 weeks, and then the plant dies back, so you probably won't see it again until next year. I am guessing that this plant is in its "die-back" phase. It is very invasive and is considered a weed by many gardeners. The bulbs are poisonous if eaten. The leaf spots you see may be due to the unpredictable weather we have had this spring---temperature and precipitation.   The following links will give you more information about this plant. https://weedid.missouri.edu/weedinfo.cfm?weed_id=192 https://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1271  I hope you find this information helpful. However, if you believe that this is an incorrect diagnosis, please contact me again. Any new information will be very helpful to get a better identification.

responder: The Question Asker Replied April 21, 2023, 6:09 PM EDT
response: Thank you for your reply!I did not plant these but you are correct, these clumps of grass do grow the star of Bethlehem! I totally forgot that's what grows there until you mentioned it. And I know the get white flowers that open during the day & close at night.The people who lived in our house before we bought it in 2018 just mowed and neglected the landscaping. We do not mow I haven't planted anything in our backyard except for what we put in our raised beds and a couple spots I am planting native species pollinator flowers & adding to those each year. Buy apparently there was a whole bunch of gardening going on with the people before the people we bought from!Laying dormant or just plain cut down consistently previously,  we have: tulips, daffodils, motherswort, feverfew, ground cherries, fleabane, asters, queen annes lace, violets, spearmint, catmint, mullen, moth mullein, ground ivy, white clover, snow drops, glory of the snow and --star of Bethlehem! But, I don't remember the leaves turning this yellow brown color in other years. It doesn't seem to be spreading to anything else if it's anything that would spread.Since it does seem to be spreading multiplying a lot, should I dig up clumps to tame down the invasion?Thanks again for your help!Have a great weekend & Happy Earth Day tomorrow/April 22!Take care,~LiSAOn Fri, Apr 21, 2023, 10:08 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: *Please Note: If there is mention of trade names in this response, it is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute an endorsement of one product over another, nor is discrimination intended against any product.  Thank you for contacting Ask Extension. Please contact us again with any gardening questions you may have, or call the MSUE State Hotline at 1-888-678-3464  Replied April 24, 2023, 8:52 AM EDT
response: Hi Lisa, Your garden sounds like a pollinator's delight!   You can cut the plant down to the ground. If you wish to thin the plant, you should dig up the bulbs now because, by the summer, you may not be able to find them. Star of Bethlehem is very invasive and will take over a garden if left unchecked. We don't even have to plant it because the birds and wind can bring the seeds to our yards.  I enjoyed hearing about your native gardens, and I applaud your efforts to protect the pollinators and employ environmentally friendly gardening practices. We all need to to better to protect our planet.  Don't hesitate to contact us again with any questions or concerns you may have.  Happy Spring!