[O P M]

I searched, but found little..... so..... here goes.

I have a lawn that is mowed high ( 3 - 4 inches), watered well, (not over watered) and manicured often.

I do the fertilization and weed control and know it was not overdone.

The soil is a sandy soil that is unusual in my area of the state but I have 5 other lawns in the same area (same soil) with no problems. One is right next door.

The grass died.

Not in circles, not in stripes, not in small patches. It did not go dormant, the plant is gone, bent over, and deteriated away. In a 2000 square foot area there may be 10 square feet of good lawn if you grouped all the sparse sprigs together.

I am going to take a soil sample to the county for examination but would like any ideas I can get from you guys also.

My plan is to go in there with an aerator / seeder and plant new grass in the fall. I am worried that the soil is sour???

 

[GLAN]

What has your weather been like?

What time of day is it irrigated? Watering schedule?

 

[DUSTYCEDAR]

maby grubs?

 

[O P M]

I thought of each, grubs and water........

Grubs usually start in a small area and progress, this went BAM, no grass!

Water ? Hell Man, I am in WISCONSIN ! *laughing* Seriously, we have had a dry spell, then a lot of rain but it is very unusual to lose a lawn around here, they usually go dormant. Plus, the tenant swears he watered and I believe him since he takes very good care of everything.

 

[Enviro Green]

Pics might help, for a fungal disease, again, pythium is a fast mover and can destroy an entire lawn in a matter of days. Search around on the web and look at some pics and see if it is close. Just a guess.

EG

 

[timturf]

doubt if it's pythium in home lawn in wisconsin, do a complete soil test , including salts and minors, proablly too late for any sample to university for fungas activity! How fast did it die? get sick looking ,slowly thinned, died?

might think about nematodes!

 

[1grnlwn]

Armyworms?

 

[GLAN]

Automatic sprinkler system that a head was cut off leaving the zone with no pressure ?

 

[grassguy_]

Without pics and your description, would say pythium is a probability. We've had a few cases of it this year with all the moisture we've had and extremely humid, muggy nights. Low lying areas make a great incubator for this disease pathogen, where fog can set through the night.

 

[O P M]

Wow, these are things I have never heard of.

The grass is in the back yard, otherwise I would suspect salt from the driveway was the cause. That is how it acted as it vanished. I have seen no insect, or worm on the sight.

If it is ..... ?? pythium?? can I just reseed in the fall or is this something in the soil that needs to be neutralized?

 

[lordohturf]

If you have ryegrass, pythium would be a real possibility. Once the conditions for the disease activity were no longer present
(high temps with high humidity)you could then seed.

Another option you may check is a gas line leak. This doesn't happen often, but natural gas leaks will take out a lawn quickly.
Your power company should be able to do a leak test pretty easily.

 

[grassguy_]

Yes, you can reseed as Lordohturf indicated but wait and make sure the environmental conditions have subsided for most disease pathogens. Best to take a sample to and extension office of your state Agriculture and they can scope it to ID the disease and whats best.

 

[O P M]

Yes, I went to the County Ext with a small sample...... they were not too helpful without a proper sample that needs to be sent away, scrutinize, prodded, bleached, blown, wet, dried, and interviewed. This will take awhile.

I just wanted someone there that did not sit behind a desk all day that may be able to answer a few questions. That person did not exist so I will run the gamut and hope they can figure it out.

I decided to also wait until mid to late Sept. to reseed, this should be quite a change of weather by then.

Thanks for the help, ...........by the way, they are not really going to interrogate the sample!!!!

 

[timturf]

In fox valley, wisc, I don't think you need to wait so long! Quest, e mail me

tim