How do I fix my lawn?

[cleverlandshark2001]

I'm in central Connecticut. I have been taking good care of my lawn since I bought my home in January. I fertilized lightly, watered about 2x per week totaling about 1-2" per week and have been cutting the lawn fairly high (3"?). On a few very hot sunny days I gave the lawn a light watering to keep the grass cool.
When I moved in the lawn was a very dry and wispy, I have made great improvements but have noticed just this past week many grayish, brownish and almost whitish areas of grass that look as if they're dying out. I first started noticing grass in the morning that was lying down and looked a bit oily or greasy and was stuck together like a "wet hair" look.
Other than these spots the lawn is fairly thick and nice looking.
I checked for grubs but didn't see any.
Is this from overfertilizing or overwatering?
Lastly, where do I go from here? Aerating and overseeding? Wait til late August? Apply a fungicide?
Thanks for all the help.

[cleverlandshark2001]

Also, I read somewhere that I should actually start cutting the grass lower (2") in oreder to prevent the spread of any disease on my lawn. If this is true, how long should I do this for and should I water to keep the lawn from burning up here in July??? Arghh!

[MulcahyMowing2]

don't cut it too 2" in this heat wait until fall with cooler temps. what grass type is it?

[lawnsareus]

I'm in central Connecticut. I have been taking good care of my lawn since I bought my home in January. I fertilized lightly, watered about 2x per week totaling about 1-2" per week and have been cutting the lawn fairly high (3"?). On a few very hot sunny days I gave the lawn a light watering to keep the grass cool.
When I moved in the lawn was a very dry and wispy, I have made great improvements but have noticed just this past week many grayish, brownish and almost whitish areas of grass that look as if they're dying out. I first started noticing grass in the morning that was lying down and looked a bit oily or greasy and was stuck together like a "wet hair" look.
Other than these spots the lawn is fairly thick and nice looking.
I checked for grubs but didn't see any.
Is this from overfertilizing or overwatering?
Lastly, where do I go from here? Aerating and overseeding? Wait til late August? Apply a fungicide?
Thanks for all the help.

what kinda grass is it ? You said ( I fertilized lightly, watered about 2x per week totaling about 1-2") I dont think you should be fertilized lightly 2x per week. Maybe your over fertilized ?

[cleverlandshark2001]

what kinda grass is it ? You said ( I fertilized lightly, watered about 2x per week totaling about 1-2") I dont think you should be fertilized lightly 2x per week. Maybe your over fertilized ?

I didn't fertilize twice a week! lol. I watered twice. Anyway, it looks to me as if I did overfertilize and I am having a local landscape professional come to the house to conduct a soil test. I can see today that the spots are turning very light in color and just look as if they're dying.

It's weird cuz the rest of the lawn looks awesome! I would think overfertilizing would cause more overall damage, not just in spots.

We;ll see.

[hardboiled]

At what time of the day where you watering?

[GeorgiaLandscaper]

What type of grass is it? Cutting hieght is very important for turfs, and every grass type has a different cutting hieght.

[cleverlandshark2001]

What type of grass is it? Cutting hieght is very important for turfs, and every grass type has a different cutting hieght.

I followed all the rules...I watered in the morning and cut the grass at 3" about every 4-5 days, leaving the small clippings for natty fertilizer.
I did water many times when the weather was sunny and hot because I heard this would prevent the grass from closing thier pores so to speak. I guess they'll do that to prevent water loss.
Anyway...I'm unhappy with the Scott's Weed and Feed I put down. I strongly believe it dried out my front lawn. At the same time, my back yard looks strong but has a ****-load of clovers and weeds. Slowly my front yard has dying patches and is looking more like the thin lawn I started with. It's too bad, I put alot of time and effort into this.
I have ChemLawn coming out to do a soil test and to point me in the right direction.

[SG]

Your turf has a fungus, likely dollar Spot. What type of grass do you have?
Do you have what looks like a white webbing on the grass in the early morning?

[wingless]

Many well established lawns in RI and MA are getting whacked, big time, by red thread. Mine got it too. It wouldn’t surprise me if a fellow Nutmegger also got hit.

Being overly neurotic about my lawn, I jumped into action the day I noticed the problem. I hit it with starter fertilizer right away. Then, on the weekend I hit it with the first of two fungicide treatments, spaced two weeks apart.

The problem disappeared as quick as it arrived.

Or, leave it alone. It will run it's cycle, the roots will be fine and the rest of the summer those spots will remain pretty much unchanged. Then the grass will grow again.

[cleverlandshark2001]

Thanks Wingless.

All these diseases look and sound so similar..I'm not sure what I have. I strongly believe it's from overfertilizing. I remember putting down a little more than I should've in the front, and that's where the problems occurred. In the back I only sprinkled a small amount and it's sweet. Couldn't have bee overwatering cuz the schedule I used worked great up until the week after I fertilized.

My spots are almost a yellowish/whitish color, similar to when grass dries up from hot sun and no water...it's in small spots.

[wingless]

Two years ago, when my lawn was hit with the red thread, it appeared as you describe, yellow dead-looking spots, all over.

This year I had bright red threads, as shown in the on-line images.

In both cases, fertilizer and fungicide fixed the problem. Except, two years ago I waited and waited for my lawn chemical company to finally treat and I went through the summer with the spots. This year my affliction was measured in hours, due to my rapid response.

[cleverlandshark2001]

Two years ago, when my lawn was hit with the red thread, it appeared as you describe, yellow dead-looking spots, all over.

This year I had bright red threads, as shown in the on-line images.

In both cases, fertilizer and fungicide fixed the problem. Except, two years ago I waited and waited for my lawn chemical company to finally treat and I went through the summer with the spots. This year my affliction was measured in hours, due to my rapid response.

I thought that the symptoms of red-thread were actually having pink or reddish grass that clings together? It can show as yellowish dead spots? Is that after they've gone through the "red" stage?

Thanks for the replies!

[wingless]

Two years ago, it had the slightest hint of red. My co-worker, in nearby Mass, had an identical outbreak.

This year it was bright red in the center of a yellow spot, ALL over only the well established sections. The new grass was fine. My co-worker also had an identical outbreak.

My nitrogen level was lower than ideal at the outbreak. It was hit twice, with starter fertilizer, after the outbreak, in a 2½ week period. It was hit twice with fungicide, two weeks apart. No residual effects remain.

[CLS Lawns]

I thought that the symptoms of red-thread were actually having pink or reddish grass that clings together? It can show as yellowish dead spots? Is that after they've gone through the "red" stage?

Thanks for the replies!

For a homeowner, you know a lot.


You are a pita... congrats!!!

cls