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enkiktd

45 day old sod dying or diseased?

enkiktd
9 years ago

Hi there, looking for some help or advice regarding Fescue sod that my husband and I laid around 45 days ago.

Laid the sod within an hour of delivery in the early AM, was cool that day and had no problems. Watered sufficiently for the first week/week and a half and then tapered off to once or twice a week of deep watering depending on the heat (we had a few 100+ days down here in Southern California a couple of days after we laid the sod). The sod looked amazing up until maybe three or four days ago, lush and green with strong blades. Checked and the sod was rooted fine, wasn't soggy and looked strong.

All of a sudden, three or four days ago, it all started to turn brown, most heavily in areas that are more exposed to the sun. I have no idea what happened because it was absolutely beautiful and thick for the first four weeks. We didn't mow to under 3" or mow it too early.

We're watering by hand (we don't have sprinklers), so it's possible we could be under or overwatering it, but I'm not sure. We try to give it one good watering a week (two if it's hot), but now that it's turning brown I'm afraid to add too much more water because I don't want to drown it either.

Any ideas of what could have happened? It's been warm out lately but not 90+. Thought it might be fungus so we treated for that yesterday but I'm not sure how long it would take to see improvement if that were it.

Images for reference:

First 41~ days:
{{gwi:100407}}

Today:

{{gwi:100408}}
{{gwi:100409}}
{{gwi:100410}}
{{gwi:100411}}
{{gwi:100412}}

Comments (11)

  • enkiktd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    For more info, no dogs or pets are using this lawn.

  • yardtractor1
    9 years ago

    How many square feet of lawn and how long does it take to hand water it?

  • enkiktd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    About 500 square feet of yard and about 45 minutes to an hour or so, using a hose attachment in shower mode at max setting.

  • yardtractor1
    9 years ago

    Considering that it is new sod in its first year, the pattern of the browning, and your location/temperatures, my first inclination is that you are applying too little water. It takes 625 gallons of water to cover 1000 sq. ft. with 1" of water which is the general recommended amount. So you need to be applying about 312 gallons for your yard. Just to get an idea how long you should be watering, use your nozzle and see how long it takes you to fill a 5 gallon bucket. Multiply that time by 62 and that is how long you should be watering for 1".
    Regardless, you need to Immediately determine what , if anything, is attacking the lawn before applying a cure. Look at the blades of "green" grass that is adjacent to a "dead" area for lesions, powdery substances or coatings. Also look for any insects in the crowns or soil. Compare anything you find to images of diseases and insect infestation that can be located on university turf sites or from a Google search "images of lawn diseases".

  • enkiktd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    If I water it at that rate, can it come back or is it too late for the heavily browned sections?

  • jdo053103
    9 years ago

    Looks like not enough water to me. You will have to either resod or over seed the dead spots.

  • yardtractor1
    9 years ago

    "If I water it at that rate, can it come back or is it too late for the heavily browned sections?"

    If your issue is due to drought and the crowns have not died, it can recover.

    Do NOT ignore the possibility of disease. If it is a disease you must act quickly.

  • enkiktd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Will look for disease or infestation, and will water it more thoroughly. Thanks!

  • enkiktd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Couldn't find any evidence of infestation (at least none that were evident), but I did take another picture:

    {{gwi:100413}}

    The dirt is very dark brown/almost black.

  • yardtractor1
    9 years ago

    I didn't make myself clear. You need to be looking at the GREEN grass next to the dormant/dead areas for signs of insects or disease.

  • enkiktd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the clarification, I will have a look at it in the morning.