Go Bottomlawn problem need help
 | rklink
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 10 forest, ohio 
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2004-12-09 101993
I planted an acre of grass 21 months ago. the first year I had a rust problem. This pass summer and even now I have circles and different shapes and strips of green grass. where most of the grass is more of a yellower color. I have fertilized this acre a lot with urea. but mostly 12-12-12.
I used tsc grass seed. Can anybody help me. I am new to this forum. thanks
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 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
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2004-12-09 101997
Fungus is the worst. I had rust on my last lawn (spread by a crappy landscaper who didn't wash his equipment) and spend hundreds of $$$ on anti-fungal spray (Dithane IIRC) which basically did nothing. Don't waste your money! I'm not sure what the best solution is, but this worked for me. I fertilized the heck out of it for two years straight, mowing twice a week during the growing season (bagged the clippings), and washed the mower good after each mowing. The third year I started cutting back on fertilizer and the fungus didn't come back. At least not before the house sold. ....
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 | Archdean
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 279 Oklahoma
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2004-12-09 101998
I would suggest you take a soil sample test (several) in your troubled areas , have them analyzed by your County Extension agent!
Without the information of who, what, where the soil came from etc. etc. etc. Adding more of this and that will only make matters worse! ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY 
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2004-12-10 102020
Get several soil samples. A couple in each area. 10 to 1 the Ph is way out in those areas and you will need lots of ag lime to bring the entire area into shape.
The other concern I would have is sandy spots or shallow top soil, layers of gravel to close to surface. Sand and gravel will not hold the moisture for the grasses to establish and trying to mow to short in dry weather lets what moisture that is there evaporate to quickly. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-12-10 102042
I'm far from an expert but in my experience you can adjust soil pH until the cows come home and it won't affect fungal diseases much. Fungus is a parasite and as long as conditions are ripe for turf growth the fungus is happy. ....
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 | Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 955 Central Iowa 
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2004-12-10 102056
I don't know about fungus, but the guy that built my house just spread all the subsoil from digging out the basement and threw some grass seed down. Doesn't exactly have uch nutrients in it. So that's why my grass sucks. ....
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 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-12-10 102058
I have several questions. How large is the problem area of your lawn or is the entire area? Did you broadcast the fertilizer in an even fashion? Did you put on the 12-12-12 in mid summer when it was hot?
Getting a soil sample as was said is good but they charge for doing this, I think about $35.00. If your lawn isn't that large, that money could be used toward lime and fertilizer. Could you have put down too much fertilizer where the streaks are? If you put down too much fertilizer in mid summer when it was hot and dry you may have stressed it from over fertilizing.
The orange/rust colored fungus usually goes away the next year. If the grass is green and healthy a fungus will not attack it.
If you have a sandy soil, I'd drop some lime on it. In early spring, I do a crabgrass preventitive + fertilizer application.(just before the grass turns green). Several weeks later I do an application with like 24-3-3 or whatever followed by a 12-12-12 in about a month. When it gets warm/hot grass needs lots of water if you plan to keep it green. I generally use Ringer's(organic fertilizer)because it won't burn in summer months. It smells like chicken sxxt when applying. My nicest lawn is at the condo. My sprinkler is set for watering each zone about 20-30 minutes per day. In cooler periods, it runs just before dawn. In mid summer, it runs for 15-20 minutes just after dusk allowing the moisture to soak in during the evening. I usually hit it again for 15-20 minutes just before dawn. If water beads set on leaves of many trees and plants, the hot sun will burn spots in them. If you water too much in the evening you can get fungus. I'd also suggest broadcasting some new seed over the entire yard to re-seed. I usually blend two types of seed (one meant for sun, the other for shade) when reseeding. That way the type of seed that is fitted for the situation will take over.
At my condo, I have a very good looking lawn in a 100' x 100' area. I fertilize it every 3 weeks and spend up to $125.00 per month in water bills. It is sandy soil that I stripped and put topsoil on. Some areas of topsoil don't seem to handle the grass as well as other sections. It takes extra effort. Makes you feel like King of the Hill when your neighbors admire the estate. ....
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| rklink
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 10 forest, ohio
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2004-12-11 102092
The area is low and close to a small creek. It used to be a part of a farmers field. I have put urea on a year ago to help get rid of the rust problem. this past early spring I put 12-12-12 on. and then again in mid to late summer. the grass always greens up and then it goes yellowish. and then this fall I had a lot of mushrooms. and then the circles and different designs ....
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2004-12-11 102097
How long ago was this a farmers field? Could you be using up residual weed killer used by him? ....
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| rklink
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 10 forest, ohio
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2004-12-12 102139
the last farm crop was corn in the year of 2002. The farmer is a no till farmer
I bought the land in jan 2003, and planted grass in march of 2003. I mowed it the summers of 2003 and 2004. Like suggested above, I think I need to soil sample and go from there. I also need to contact my extension office.
Thanks for the responses.
....
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| yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-12-13 102164
There is a good chance that you burned the lawn in mid summer by applying 12-12-12. Likewise too much urea can also burn it. That could be the reason for it turning yellow. Mushrooms are real common when applying organic fertilizers. I don't think carryover from Herbicides is an issue.
My lawn at the farm is about 95 years old. I have two spots that come back every year where the grass is greener and grows faster than the rest. These spots are almost perfect circles about 10 feet in diameter. Kinda looks like some crop circle phenomenon. My neighbor who is 90 says trees were there in the middle of the circles about 75 years ago. If you find out the cause for these, I'd like to hear about it.
If the farmer was able to grow a decent stand of corn, you should be able to get a nice lawn.
You mentioned it is next to a creek and is low. Is this area so low that it is damp all of the time, reason for mushrooms. Maybe the lawn can't tolerate the moisture level. Has the creek flooded over bringing silt on the lawn area? You may have some sections that have nearly no nutritional value for the grass to grow from. I have some sections like this on my new lawn where I paid for topsoil.
Yes, sounds like soil sampling is a plan. ....
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| brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2004-12-13 102170
((I planted an acre of grass 21 months ago. the first year I had a rust problem. This pass summer and even now I have circles and different shapes and strips of green grass. where most of the grass is more of a yellower colo))
Sounds to me like UFO'S Crop circles and such! ....
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| denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 542 Quarryville PA 
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2004-12-13 102175
The mushrooms are from burried decaying organic matter, logs, stumps, lumber, etc. Most do not harm the lawn, just unsitely. The pale color could be iron deficiency, a likely cause wrong PH. Circles could be fusarium blight ....
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 | kyvette
Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 194 Central Kentucky
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2004-12-22 102732
A couple of years ago I purchased a three acre tract that has been in grass for several years. I did a soil sample and the results where very low lime and low phosphors, also recommended adding nitrogen.
In October I added ag lime at the rate of two tons per acre. December is the recommended time to add nitrogen, but I haven't done it yet.
A soil sample is the only way to go, then you know what you need to add. My cost was $5 with a two to four week turn around. Dave ....
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