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| I installed a new sod lawn almost exactly two weeks ago in the middle of the worst summer heatwave so far this year in the Chicago area (no lectures please, I knew the risks going in and decided to proceed for a variety of reasons). In addition to dealing with 80-90 degree plus heat, we have received virtually no rain. As a result, I have been watering A LOT according to a schedule recommended by my installer.
Week 1: 2x daily for ~20 min
With the exception of the installation day, we have watered early in the day to avoid having the lawn saturated overnight. The installer also applied a starter fertilizer during the initial installation (which I understand to be controversial). In general, we've had great success, with only a few areas browning up due to heat and lack of water (an acceptable outcome given the conditions). In fact, we have needed to mow twice due to rapid growth. Two days ago (following the 2nd mowing), I began to notice discolored patches in the lawn. Note the dark areas in the attached picture. I am concerned this may be some kind of lawn fungus resulting from the heavy watering and hot/humid conditions. Any help diagnosing this problem would be welcome, along with recommended courses of treatment. I will post additional close-up photos shortly. Thanks in advance for any help! |
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| it looks like leaf spot, which then can potentially lead to melting out during high temps/high humidity, i believe immunox is one effective treatment, i've had it, used immunox 2x per year and it did not ever get too severe or spread beyond 1-2 ft diameter patches and the kbg filled right in after a few weeks |
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| I'm very familiar with the conditions you're currently experiencing and the type of grass you're trying to grow. It is most likely Summer Patch disease. Find your local John Deere dealer (former Lesco) and pick up a bag (it is either 25 of 50 lb bag) of Pillar G fungicide or Heritage G. Follow the label rate and apply inmediately and do so every 28 days. Also, use the high rate on the bag and water your lawn in the morning only, do NOT water in the afternoon or evenings. Your Bluegrass sod will recover. |
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- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Sat, Jul 7, 12 at 15:53
| Once you are happy that the lawn has been saved from the fungus, I would suggest reinvigorating the soil with a very light dusting of compost. There are tens of thousands of beneficial fungus species needed in the soil. When you apply the fungal suppressants mentioned above, especially repeatedly, you can deplete the populations of the beneficials. However you can quickly restore any damaged species with compost. You don't need much. I would suggest 1/2 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet. Put that down about 3 weeks after your last app of the fungicide. At the same time you could feed those microbes with organic fertilizer like alfalfa pellets at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. That should bring you back to a good starting point in the fall. By the way, no argument for sodding in the summer - maybe not ideal, but it is better than seeding. Once the roots knit into the underlying soil, you'll want to back off on watering frequency until you get to once a week. Then you'll be watering for as long as it takes to get enough water for the rest of the week. For some people that is 20 minutes, for others it is hours and hours. It depends on your sprinkler system or hoses/sprinklers. Make the transition gradually to give the roots time to grow in and take advantage of the deeper watering. Then after the temps cool down, you can back off further on frequency toward a minimum of once a month. |
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