Dead Grass and Palms

[carbpow]

I have a strange thing going on with sod that was put in a few months ago. Under some areca palms right where the water drips off them after a rain and also under a sea grapes where the water drips I have dead grass. It is empire zoysia if that makes any difference. It is as if there is something toxic in the leaves of the palms and sea grapes. Any ideas?

[Florida Gardener]

Got pics?
Posted via Mobile Device

[easy-lift guy]

Has the property in question been preasure washed recently or their neighbors property.
Post pictures.
easy-lift guy

[carbpow]

I have NO idea how these photos will come out as I have not done this before on this website but hopefully you'll be able to see where the grass is brown under the dip line of the palms.

[Landscape Poet]

mole cricket /grubs?

[carbpow]

I poured a soap solution on and didn't see any critters surface. I had mole crickets right after I put it down. They were terrible as I could still lift the sod in places after 4 weeks, but I took care of them with carbaryl. The sod still hasn't rooted well where they were but this thing under the palms is strange. It started as round spots where the water dripped off the tips of the leaves and has slowly spread.

[jvanvliet]

Round spots usually indicate Fungus.

Check for root rot (pythium) along the tree line.

[easy-lift guy]

The pool in the back ground is a dead give away. The chlorine vapors from the pool have drifted over and onto the palms. With the morning du gravity has deposited the rest on the turf which in turn has killed the grass. Case closed.
easy-lift guy

[carbpow]

Chlorine...makes sense, never thought of that, thanks.
Hmmm, now I am not sure which came first the chlorine vapor or the root rot because I for sure have some root rot along the tree line but since it's dead in places I guess that's normal. The round spots away from the pool may well be fungus. I have Heritage G for fungus so I may put some of that out. I've got Eagle and Honor Guard too if needed.
In places under the palms next to the pool the grass seems to be coming back SLOWLY after I trimmed the limbs back. Maybe as roots are established deeper it'll come back.

[RigglePLC]

Sprinklers are going in the pic. Far fence is wet. Its possible that the roots of the trees have reached under the sod and pulled out the moisture during a recent hot spell. Check for roots. Check for full sprinkler coverage. However I think I see an area along the fence in the background where the strip of grass is dead, yet there is a fence and no trees. Something is odd about the pattern. In most places there is a healthy green strip of grass nearest the garden area.

Suppose a powerful grass killer was used. Or --a powerful grass killer was used in the soil of the potted plants ...used before the potted plants were purchased.

I suspect the customer applied some sort of fertilizer or chemical to control weeds or kill insects on the soil along the trees. Do the trees look healthy? Did he drain pool water here after cleaning the filter or using a powerful algicide?

Or was the area reseeded after installing the trees (reseeded with mostly rye--which died out in the summer's heat). The green spots may be zoysia and the brown, some other kind of grass.