New turf going brown in places

[Nick1982]

Hi all I'm new.

I laid a new lawn 1 week ago. Looked great when it was done! Since then we have had a lot of rain and not much sun. Been pretty chilly all last week. I have started to notice brown patches on some areas of the lawn. At first I assumed that its wasn't getting enough water but now I believe it's been over watered. Is there anything I can do to save the brown grass?? 1st picture is last week when turf was laid and 2nd photo is today.

 

[Sheal]

Welcome Nick. A close up shot of the brown areas would help please. As the turf has only been down a week I would give it another couple before worrying too much. The roots need time to attach themselves to the soil to take up nutrients. Was the ground prepared well before it was laid?

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum Nick. I agree with Sheal, and look forward to having a look at some close up shots of the patches Grass is pretty tough, and will recover - so there's little to worry about in all probability.

 

[Nick1982]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply!
I've took a photo this morning of a area of dis coloured grass.

I took up my old lawn and leveled the area off with topsoil before laying new turf. So the area was pretty well prepared I think

 

[Tetters]

You say you took up your old lawn - did that show a similar problem? Do you have a dog? Have you let the children play on the new lawn since it was laid?
This is a problem I might think was builders rubble underneath if it was a new build, but plainly it's not that.
I would continue to water - either early morning or last thing in the day - NOT in the middle of the day when the sun is on it.....and wait a few weeks to see how things progress.
I hope you stick with us and let us know how it goes - you never know, as gardeners we might even persuade you to dig a border there and plant something else beside grass ....

 

[DirtMechanic]

Are those dots mushrooms? Sorry I have phone screen so its a squinty business sometimes. If so then you will want a fungicide. If conditions are ripe for good fungi then so to for the bad fungi. Thoughtfully, one of them is named brown patch. Trichoderma is a good fungi to grow. You can feed it cornmeal, which acts like a fungicide since trichoderma likes to eat other fungus and does not hurt plants. There are modern chemical versions, of which the systemic types might be the longest lasting while you work up an organic program. I think it is important to know the pH of the soil too, and being a new yard I would not use a hand held meter, because the lab tests tell about the other details one needs to know.

 

[Nick1982]

You say you took up your old lawn - did that show a similar problem? Do you have a dog? Have you let the children play on the new lawn since it was laid?
This is a problem I might think was builders rubble underneath if it was a new build, but plainly it's not that.
I would continue to water - either early morning or last thing in the day - NOT in the middle of the day when the sun is on it.....and wait a few weeks to see how things progress.
I hope you stick with us and let us know how it goes - you never know, as gardeners we might even persuade you to dig a border there and plant something else beside grass ....

No problems with the old lawn like this. No children or pets have been on it either. I think I have definitely over watered it as when I walked on it yesterday water was coming up round my shoes. If that is the case will the grass ever return to green?

 

[Nick1982]

Are those dots mushrooms? Sorry I have phone screen so its a squinty business sometimes. If so then you will want a fungicide. If conditions are ripe for good fungi then so to for the bad fungi. Thoughtfully, one of them is named brown patch. Trichoderma is a good fungi to grow. You can feed it cornmeal, which acts like a fungicide since trichoderma likes to eat other fungus and does not hurt plants. There are modern chemical versions, of which the systemic types might be the longest lasting while you work up an organic program. I think it is important to know the pH of the soil too, and being a new yard I would not use a hand held meter, because the lab tests tell about the other details one needs to know.

No mushrooms. They are just pettles that have blown off a tree that have landed on the lawn.

 

[Tetters]

Nick .... I really think you are trying too hard, and maybe you're right. It's no good killing it with kindness ......

 

[Nick1982]

Nick .... I really think you are trying too hard, and maybe you're right. It's no good killing it with kindness ......
View attachment 53605

I'll watch out for the sharks! Best course of action now then? Let it dry out for a couple of days?

 

[Sheal]

Yes, if it's squidgy underfoot then leave watering until it's dried out. With the weather improving this week I'd water it every couple of days once it's dried out a bit. It doesn't have to be soaking wet, just enough to reach the roots.

 

[mgmine]

Did you fertilize it?

 

[Nick1982]

Do you mean the soil before laying the turf? No I didn't. Haven't fed the turf since either

 

[DirtMechanic]

I believe I would use a new lawn rooting fertilizer. I would apply superthrive or similar auxin as grasses respond extremely well to the hormone. It does not really make roots longer, but bushier, which is good. In that liquid appIication I would include a fungicide and an insecticide.

 

[Tetters]

I wouldn't - I find that grass looks after itself pretty well, as long as it doesn't get cut too short. My four acres stay pretty green and healthy as long as the grass is cut regularly and I use a mulching deck so it feeds itself. Even the patches left by ground sheets etc (It is a camping site) reinstate themselves quite quickly