Here are some pictures of the dead spot in my lawn that has been growing steadily larger for the past year. I've treated it with both systemic and topical fungicides and the peroxide based one. Nothing has slowed this down. This week I noticed the white, fuzzy, probably mycelium growing on the surface. I'm wondering if anyone knows what this may be and how to kill it. I've had the extension service out a couple of times but they haven't tested it to see what it is. Thanks for any advice. The first picture is the fungus and the second is a larger view of the dead zone.
Fungus killing my lawn
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MSlawnman
Here are some pictures of the dead spot in my lawn that has been growing steadily larger for the past year. I've treated it with both systemic and topical fungicides and the peroxide based one. Nothing has slowed this down. This week I noticed the white, fuzzy, probably mycelium growing on the surface. I'm wondering if anyone knows what this may be and how to kill it. I've had the extension service out a couple of times but they haven't tested it to see what it is. Thanks for any advice. The first picture is the fungus and the second is a larger view of the dead zone.
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Here are some pictures of the dead spot in my lawn that has been growing steadily larger for the past year. I've treated it with both systemic and topical fungicides and the peroxide based one. Nothing has slowed this down. This week I noticed the white, fuzzy, probably mycelium growing on the surface. I'm wondering if anyone knows what this may be and how to kill it. I've had the extension service out a couple of times but they haven't tested it to see what it is. Thanks for any advice. The first picture is the fungus and the second is a larger view of the dead zone.
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Assuming you're from Mississippi based on your signature, send samples to http://extension.msstate.edu/lab for an accurate diagnosis. They should provide you with cultural methods to reduce the recurrence of this disease and chemical recommendations to treat it. No guess work involved.
Thanks. I'm kind of learning that all fungi aren't created equally. I'd really like to find out specifically what this is. Until the mycelium appeared I wasn't positive it was a fungus. Was worried about ground pearls. I am going to send a sample to the cooperative extension service for diagnosis. And yep, I'm in Mississippi
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What kind of grass is this? St Augustine? Bermuda?
If only this spot is affected--then you have to think about chemical damage. I am assuming road salt and ice melter are unlikely. Look uphill. Was something used to keep weeds out of the bark mulch just uphill and to the right in the picture?
Look carefully at the pattern. Odd shape. It looks almost like there is a dead circle around a pebble right in the center.
Roundup Extended Control with imazapic is a possibility.
http://www.roundup.com/smg/goprod/r...p-concentrate-extended-control-weed-grass-killer-plus-weed-preventer/prod70272/
If only this spot is affected--then you have to think about chemical damage. I am assuming road salt and ice melter are unlikely. Look uphill. Was something used to keep weeds out of the bark mulch just uphill and to the right in the picture?
Look carefully at the pattern. Odd shape. It looks almost like there is a dead circle around a pebble right in the center.
Roundup Extended Control with imazapic is a possibility.
http://www.roundup.com/smg/goprod/r...p-concentrate-extended-control-weed-grass-killer-plus-weed-preventer/prod70272/
It's centipede grass. There's another spot by the other drain pipe for the driveway but not quite as bad. A third spot is getting a bit better. I've treated all of them multiple times but the two by the drain pipes (that run under the driveway) haven't responded to anything and continually grow in size.
Come to think of it, during heavy rains, water from down the block flows through my yard and pools at these two spots. It does drain quickly though as the soil is quite sandy.
The spots are roughly circular, grass at the edges turns brown and dies down to the roots. Weeds grow there but no grass. I transferred a small patch of healthy grass from another spot in the yard to the center of the dead zone and it appears to be doing OK. There is also some other 'grassy-looking' weed growing quite well in the center of the dead zone.
I treated again yesterday with daconil. I know that's no longer approved for lawns but Scott's and FStop II did absolutely nothing. I forgot the name of the peroxide based treatment but it didn't have any effect either. That's why I was thinking ground pearls. I dug down about 10 inches in several spots and didn't find any though.
The runoff from down the block or street is an interesting thought. But no, we don't have any salt treatment on the roads here in south Mississippi.
My plan right now is to continue rotating fungicides, dig up as much of the soil as I can in this area and resod in the spring. I was also thinking of using some dilute Clorox, neem oil and sulfur... not all at the same time.
Come to think of it, during heavy rains, water from down the block flows through my yard and pools at these two spots. It does drain quickly though as the soil is quite sandy.
The spots are roughly circular, grass at the edges turns brown and dies down to the roots. Weeds grow there but no grass. I transferred a small patch of healthy grass from another spot in the yard to the center of the dead zone and it appears to be doing OK. There is also some other 'grassy-looking' weed growing quite well in the center of the dead zone.
I treated again yesterday with daconil. I know that's no longer approved for lawns but Scott's and FStop II did absolutely nothing. I forgot the name of the peroxide based treatment but it didn't have any effect either. That's why I was thinking ground pearls. I dug down about 10 inches in several spots and didn't find any though.
The runoff from down the block or street is an interesting thought. But no, we don't have any salt treatment on the roads here in south Mississippi.
My plan right now is to continue rotating fungicides, dig up as much of the soil as I can in this area and resod in the spring. I was also thinking of using some dilute Clorox, neem oil and sulfur... not all at the same time.
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Think about this, you don't know what is causing the problem so you'll just throw everything at it and see what happens? Send samples to the lab first and then follow their recommendations!!
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Most extension labs do not have the ability or facilities for major detection of fungi--there are hundreds of different fungi normally in the soil. They normally would look mainly at the symptoms and signs of disease.
Perhaps it would be wise to put some soil in a coffee cup and plant some rye seed in it on your desk. The seed should emerge in about 5 to 7 days. Compare with "clean" soil. Be sure it is not a soil contamination problem. Odd that weeds might grow and grass not. A soil test might be helpful (or not), what is the acid level, soluble salts? Storm water could have washed something into the drain tube area--maybe caused temporary bad drainage.
Familiarize yourself with the main diseases of centipede. Discuss it with your most experienced chemical dealer--show him pictures and samples.
Check for chemicals used in the bark.
https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/04/centipede-lawn-problems-2/
Perhaps it would be wise to put some soil in a coffee cup and plant some rye seed in it on your desk. The seed should emerge in about 5 to 7 days. Compare with "clean" soil. Be sure it is not a soil contamination problem. Odd that weeds might grow and grass not. A soil test might be helpful (or not), what is the acid level, soluble salts? Storm water could have washed something into the drain tube area--maybe caused temporary bad drainage.
Familiarize yourself with the main diseases of centipede. Discuss it with your most experienced chemical dealer--show him pictures and samples.
Check for chemicals used in the bark.
https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/04/centipede-lawn-problems-2/
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Did you send it to http://extension.msstate.edu/lab . This plant disease diagnostic lab will identify if it is a disease, which one(s) it is and provide cultural and chemical procedures to follow.
A lady from the extension service came out to the house. She was concerned it was take-all rot. She wasn't able to give me much more info than that by just looking at the spot. She said she was pretty sure it wasn't take-all rot though. I sent a large patch of soil and grass to them from the infected area but I believe they needed more. I'll do this again. In the meantime was advised to treat with antifungals, which I've done, with NO success at all.
I did get the soil tested for pH and nutrients and received a report telling me how much nitrogen and potash to apply, which I've done. Also said the soil was highly acidic, pH about 4.6, and was advised to apply some lime, which I did (exactly according to their directions). Unfortunately, that raised the pH to a little above 7.0 and centipede likes a pH around 5.5 to 6.0. I'm still working on correcting the pH back to around 6.0.
The surrounding areas have about the best turf in the whole 2.5 acre yard. I just got this property last year and the yard had been pretty neglected. I've been putting in a ton of work (labor of love though) to get it looking perfect.
I did get the soil tested for pH and nutrients and received a report telling me how much nitrogen and potash to apply, which I've done. Also said the soil was highly acidic, pH about 4.6, and was advised to apply some lime, which I did (exactly according to their directions). Unfortunately, that raised the pH to a little above 7.0 and centipede likes a pH around 5.5 to 6.0. I'm still working on correcting the pH back to around 6.0.
The surrounding areas have about the best turf in the whole 2.5 acre yard. I just got this property last year and the yard had been pretty neglected. I've been putting in a ton of work (labor of love though) to get it looking perfect.
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Admittedly I may not be able to help you a lot here, but it is very interesting to me that the white fungus in the first photo appears to be actually growing on the soil in an area of turf that is already dead. It would seem to me to be living off something in the soil not the turf.
I looked up some information on take all root rot and your photos really look a lot like the photo in the information I looked at. There are some fungicides that they recommend for it.
Maybe this will help http://gillespie.agrilife.org/files/2013/02/Take-All-Root-Rot.pdf
I looked up some information on take all root rot and your photos really look a lot like the photo in the information I looked at. There are some fungicides that they recommend for it.
Maybe this will help http://gillespie.agrilife.org/files/2013/02/Take-All-Root-Rot.pdf
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OK, but send sample to the Diagnostic lab, not the local extension office. Once it is identified, use the correct fungicide per label usage. After this is cleared up, you must address the cause or you will continue to have the same problem.
A jump in pH from 4.6 to 7.0 in one year is a lot. Did you send soil samples to the same lab? Did you collect the samples from the same area with the same method? Something doesn't sound right here.
Thanks for sending that lead on take-all root rot, that's about the only one I've read that indicated it may be curable and how to go about it.
Yes, the fungus appeared a few inches in from the edge of the healthy grass. It came up after a couple of days of very wet weather. I've never seen any mycelium on the grass itself. I sprayed that area (plus surrounding area) heavily with the daconil after I took the picture and it appears to be dying back but could just be drying out.
Regarding the pH of the soil. I'm pretty stumped on that myself. The first sample was done by the extension service and included samples from about 7 different sites in the yard. Subsequent samples were taken close to the same spots and I used both a 'stick in the soil' meter (probably unreliable) and a soil test kit I bought that adds a chemical to the soil sample/water and turns color. Numerous samples from all over the yard give nearly identical readings using both methods. My guess is that the original samples to the extension service just happened to be from more acidic areas??? I'm going to repeat the soil sample using the extension service before spring and also get a report on the amount of nitrogen needed this spring. I know I didn't over apply the lime and went exactly by their recommendations. Much to the chagrin of my local feed store who I pressed for exact poundage to purchase, exact size of the property, exact spreader settings, etc., etc., etc.
In any case, I greatly appreciate the feedback. The lawn is pretty much dormant now and I'm going to try and figure this out before spring comes. I'll definitely send another sample to my extension service over winter. I still plan on re-soding the area in the spring.
Yes, the fungus appeared a few inches in from the edge of the healthy grass. It came up after a couple of days of very wet weather. I've never seen any mycelium on the grass itself. I sprayed that area (plus surrounding area) heavily with the daconil after I took the picture and it appears to be dying back but could just be drying out.
Regarding the pH of the soil. I'm pretty stumped on that myself. The first sample was done by the extension service and included samples from about 7 different sites in the yard. Subsequent samples were taken close to the same spots and I used both a 'stick in the soil' meter (probably unreliable) and a soil test kit I bought that adds a chemical to the soil sample/water and turns color. Numerous samples from all over the yard give nearly identical readings using both methods. My guess is that the original samples to the extension service just happened to be from more acidic areas??? I'm going to repeat the soil sample using the extension service before spring and also get a report on the amount of nitrogen needed this spring. I know I didn't over apply the lime and went exactly by their recommendations. Much to the chagrin of my local feed store who I pressed for exact poundage to purchase, exact size of the property, exact spreader settings, etc., etc., etc.
In any case, I greatly appreciate the feedback. The lawn is pretty much dormant now and I'm going to try and figure this out before spring comes. I'll definitely send another sample to my extension service over winter. I still plan on re-soding the area in the spring.
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Remote possibility--is the concrete of the culvert new? It could be leaching out a bit of alkaline leachate, thereby increasing the PH.
If it is confined to the areas flooded by runoff--it probably has something to do with that. Check other nearby yards for similar problems.
Was there an accident on the road? Gasoline spilled uphill and ran down? Anti-freeze? Diesel? Hydraulic oil? Ag chemical? Does the pattern suggest a liquid caused it?
Sniff the soil--any sign of petroleum odor? Do you own the mineral rights to this property?
Take-all patch is mainly on bent, Bermuda and St Augustine, and mainly high ph soil, not acidic.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/takeall.html
If it is confined to the areas flooded by runoff--it probably has something to do with that. Check other nearby yards for similar problems.
Was there an accident on the road? Gasoline spilled uphill and ran down? Anti-freeze? Diesel? Hydraulic oil? Ag chemical? Does the pattern suggest a liquid caused it?
Sniff the soil--any sign of petroleum odor? Do you own the mineral rights to this property?
Take-all patch is mainly on bent, Bermuda and St Augustine, and mainly high ph soil, not acidic.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/takeall.html
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MSlawnman, where in MS are you located?
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