dead grass - Ask Extension
My back yard adjoins a golf course. There is a large dead tree that is on the top of the hill. The lawn in this area is yellow and dying. I have my ir...
Knowledgebase
dead grass #723215
Asked September 12, 2020, 2:18 PM EDT
My back yard adjoins a golf course. There is a large dead tree that is on the top of the hill. The lawn in this area is yellow and dying. I have my irrigation set to make sure it gets plenty of water. I live in an association and they provide the fertilization and weed control all season. I have been told that I may have "red thread" or "dollar spot". I would like to know what is causing the grass to be dying in my backyard. The rest of the yard- front and sides look great- very green and lush.
Livingston County Michigan
Expert Response
There different causes of brown patches in lawn and many are environmental. We had drought in many areas of Michigan this year. Drought stressed itself may damage turf and it also makes it more susceptible to crown damage from mowers, foot traffic, etc.
If your issue is red thread, you can do a little detective work and find the red threads. The article below can tell you how. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/pinkish_red_strands_in_grass_could_be_red_thread
The symptom shown in the close-up does have some visible similarities with dollar spot. We can't be absolutely certain based on images. The key to dollar spot managment is appropriate cultural management--sufficient nitrogen fertilization and water.http://www.msuturfdiseases.net/details/_/dollar_spot_1/
If you would like confirmation of disease, the best way to do that is to submit a sample to the diagnostic lab. There are detailed instructions for submitting residential turf samples about halfway through the page. https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/submit-samples/
