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rober49

moldy grass?

rober49
9 years ago

I've built a couple projects & had to grade some areas in the aftermath. I lightly tilled the ground & seeded with fescue & dutch white clover. the grass was looking good until I noticed an gray & dead spot. I figured the dog had done something there & put some fresh seed down & forgot about it. yesterday in another spot I saw what at 1st I thought was rabbit fur at a distance. at a closer inspection it appears to be some sort of gray fuzzy fungus . is this a common problem? it seems to be spreading. I've watered enough to keep the new growth from wilting but not so much as to saturate the soil. this seed on bare dirt, no straw or mulch. we did get a lot of rain recently. I've never seen this before.

Comments (4)

  • dchall_san_antonio
    9 years ago

    Fuzzy white stuff is not common. Usually it is caused by watering issues.

    Where do you live?
    When did you seed?
    What is your watering regimen - how often and for how long?

  • rober49
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm in st Louis, mo. it was unusually cool when I planted a month ago & now it's in the mid to high 90's.i water lightly in the morning & again in the evening. the grass blades are still fine, not heavy. the clover seems to be doing better.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    9 years ago

    It's time to back way off on the frequency. Eventually you want to be watering once every 3 weeks for you in St Louis. You are watering way too often.

    Start by watering only once every other day in the morning. Watch the grass. If the grass looks good after 2 days, go for a 3rd day. Don't get distracted by the soil getting dry. All you need to care about is the grass.

    The amount of water you apply is important. Set out some cat food or tuna cans and turn on your sprinkler. Time how long it takes to fill all the cans. It will be from 20 minutes to 8 hours depending on your system and water pressure. That time will be your permanent time for watering. Memorize it. The day you do that test is day 1 on your watering calendar. Now watch the grass carefully for wilting. It should go many days. If it only goes less than a week, water right away for half your permanent time. As soon as it goes for a week, then the next time you water will be for the full time. The idea is to get the water to penetrate deep into the soil and then allow the roots of the grass to grow deep into the soil. Once you get into this program, you'll see the grass looking much better for much longer, no disease issues, and much less weed pressure. You'll also notice the soil gets very dry and even hard before you water again. That is normal. As long as the grass looks good, the soil can get as hard as it wants to.

    Just stopping the frequent watering should stop the disease you have. If it does not, then write back.

  • rober49
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I cut back on the water & now even more is dying. I wonder if I should try a blend of seed instead of straight fescue?