Kentucky bluegrass lawn dying? - Ask Extension
We have a 10 year old lawn, mainly Kentucky Bluegrass. A large area in our front lawn has turned brown and looks like it's dying. The rest of our ...
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Kentucky bluegrass lawn dying? #708869
Asked August 03, 2020, 12:17 PM EDT
We have a 10 year old lawn, mainly Kentucky Bluegrass. A large area in our front lawn has turned brown and looks like it's dying. The rest of our yard looks fabulous We're on a Scotts fertilizing plan but they've been little help trying to diagnose the problem. We checked our underground sprinklers for coverage, and don't think it's fertilizer burn because there's no pattern to it. The area appears to be spreading. I cannot tell if it's fungal because I don't know what to look for. There doesn't seem to be any spots or abnormal growth on the leaves. We did a soil test two years ago and just needed to make a minor PH adjustment. Any suggestions?
Antrim County Michigan
Expert Response
It can be challenging to identify brown patches in lawn by picture since they can be caused by insects, disease or environmental conditions.
When you checked your sprinklers did you measure the amount of water falling on the turf or the output of the sprinklers? Lawns are just beginning to recover from summer dormancy. Guide to measuring output:
Have you checked for grubs? It is a bit early to see evidence of grub damage to roots but you can check for damaging populations of Japanese beetle grubs to be certain. You'll need to dig up a small area and look in the soil. Instructions for sampling here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_choose_and_when_to_apply_grub_control_products_for_your_lawn
There are lawn diseases that cause brown areas and Kentucky Bluegrass is susceptible to some. If you have excluded some insects and environmental causes, you may wish to submit a sample to the diagnostic lab and get proper identification.
