Houston - we have a problem..

[MaxPayneTX]

Hello all, I'm a first time home buyer and have been doing my own lawn since June. Everything was perfect up until now. I thought I had fungus so I bought some fungus spray that you hook up to the hose and sprayed the areas about two weeks ago. Grass still looks the same. Any Ideas??

front yard


back yard


Thank you

[w_r_ranch]

Most likely brown patch (fungicide will stop it, but not 'cure' it). The grass will take time to regrow. Brown patch starts when the night time temperatures are in the lower 70s & is exasperated by too much nitrogen fertilizer/over watering.

You may also have cinch bugs. They make irregular circles & start their travel to the middle of the yard from the cement of your driveway, foundation or curbing - as in your pictures. They would be treated with an insecticide.

This is the time of the year for both brown patch & cinch bugs here.

[MaxPayneTX]

I suspected it was due to over watering because it showed up after a week of very heavy rain and during the time of the year when the sun isn't nearly as hot.

As of two weeks ago, I stopped watering the lawn since it was already raining once or twice a week.

So if it is brown patch, should I continue to not water the lawn? Should I apply another dose of the fungicide?

THanks for the help.

[w_r_ranch]

So if it is brown patch, should I continue to not water the lawn? Should I apply another dose of the fungicide?

If it is brown patch, I would treat it again. I also would withhold any additional irrigation.

But to know which of the 2 you're dealing with, do a simple test. Mix 1 gallon of water with 1 oz. to 2 oz. of liquid dish washing soap. Apply the solution evenly with a sprinkling can over 1 square yard at the edge of a damaged patch of turf. Examine the treated area for cinch bugs. The soapy solution will irritate the chinch bugs within 10 minutes and push them to the surface where you can see them.

[MaxPayneTX]

Ok. I will do this right after work. Thanks for the post. If not cinch bugs, what works better for fungus, the powder/granular form or the liquid form (I usually go to Lowes).

[w_r_ranch]

what works better for fungus, the powder/granular form or the liquid form (I usually go to Lowes).

I always use copper myself, but I live out in the sticks & don't have concrete that can get stained. As you live in the 'city' I would recommend getting a product like "Bayer Advanced Fungus Control for Lawns", which is a granular systemic. You can find it at Home Depot. You may want to get 2 or 3 bags & do your whole yard (looks like you live on a cul-de-sac from you pictures).

https://www.bayeradvanced.com/lawn-care/ ... -for-lawns

[MaxPayneTX]

ok. thanks. You've been a great help.

[MaxPayneTX]

So it has been over a week now and I'm not seeing any signs of improvement. I haven't been watering it at all. Should I put another application of it on ? Should I start watering it?

[imafan26]

Are the brown patches appearing in low spots in the yard where water collects?

Are the brown patches more noticeable after you mow?

How often do you mow and how close. If you have low spots and you wait until the grass is 4 inches tall then mow it down to 1 inch it could be from the lay of the land and the way that you mow.

You should not take off more than 1/3 of the blade at one time. If you have low spots in the lawn, the grass will be taller there and you will end up taking more of the blade off. The same thing will happen if it happens to be a high spot too. If the spot is high you end up scalping and exposing the roots.

Low spots should be filled in and high spots can be taken down a bit. Use a sod cutter or spade to lift the turf and remove some of the dirt below. You can check level with a long straight 2x4. It won't be perfect but it should be close.

Set your mower blades to the proper height for the type of grass you have and only cut off a third of the blade at one time. It is best to mow most grasses before they have grown an inch.

Fungicides are better at prevention not cure. There is always some fungi in the lawn. After a heavy rain the toadstools are all over mine, but my drainage is good and I don't have a grass that is particularly susceptible so I don't have problems with fairy rings. Selecting the grass suitable for your soil type and the pests that are around really helps.

Did you do a drainage test?

New homes in subdivisions have swales put in by the developer when the lot is graded to allow water to drain from the yard. The first thing people do when they move in is build solid walls and level the yard destroying the swale and blocking water from exiting the yard. If your soil does not have naturally good drainage, then installing a French drain will help. You can't do anything about the rain, but you can adjust your sprinklers to deep water the lawn and encourage deep roots and less thatch, and water deeply and less frequently.

[MaxPayneTX]

I usually mow every week in the summer but recently the grass hasn't grown as much anymore due to the colder weather so I now mow every 2 - 3 weeks. I have my mower set at its highest setting and I mulch. In the back yard the spots do appear to be in a lower area than the rest of the yard but in the front the grass is higher than the sidewalk so wouldn't the rain just drain off ? If the fungicide won't treat it, should I throw some seeds down on those areas? Also what about watering the yard?

Thanks.

[imafan26]

If it is fungal, that has to be treated first. Most of the time the grass will grow back in in time. This time of the year is slower.

You can test if your grass needs water by walking on it. If it springs back, it is fine. If you walk on it and the grass stays flat and if you see footprints then for sure you need water. The older grass blades will take on a blue green tint and may show signs of shriveling. Water before it gets that far.

The amount you need to water changes with the season. At this time of year it is cooler and there is less evaporation and more rain, so you will probably need to water less.

I suspect if your grass by the curb is higher that water should flow away and it is less likely to be fungal and more likely to be a bit of scalping from it being a high spot. The low spots could be gradually filled the grass will grow through a 1/4 layer. The easiest way to tell where water pools in the yard is make note of where water collects and how it flows off the roof and out of the yard during a downpour and see if it matches up with the brown spots.

Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn doesn't hurt it.

[w_r_ranch]

But to know which of the 2 you're dealing with, do a simple test. Mix 1 gallon of water with 1 oz. to 2 oz. of liquid dish washing soap. Apply the solution evenly with a sprinkling can over 1 square yard at the edge of a damaged patch of turf. Examine the treated area for cinch bugs. The soapy solution will irritate the chinch bugs within 10 minutes and push them to the surface where you can see them.

Did you do this test???

So it has been over a week now and I'm not seeing any signs of improvement.

Like I said earlier, fungicide will stop it from spreading, but not 'cure' it. The grass will take time to regrow.

'St Augustine' grass is not 'actively growing' at this time of year. Be patient... it will come back just fine.

[imafan26]

Max, do you have St Augustine grass? I missed that part. I have a couple of links especially on St Augustine grass and brown patch of lawn

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/arch ... staug.html
https://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/p ... c2150.html