Large area of browning turf

jamesharcourt

I had new turf laid in Jan 2018 and it looked fantastic throughout the year - whilst some of it went a bit brown during the drought, I kept it watered and fairly long and it never really died off.  Earlier this year it looked very healthy - I keep the mower at a fairly high setting all year round.  

However in recent weeks a large area just looks increasingly brown and sad.  This is in Sussex, UK right after we've just had about 4" of rain in the space of a few days.  This area also produces very little growth.

Here is an aerial photo which shows it best ... one taken just now ... and one below taken back in Feb.  It's the middle-right which seems to be most affected.

Now:


Feb 2019:


Any ideas on what is going on and what I might do to solve it?

hogweed

It could be poor drainage on that bit. I would try spiking it thoroughly and brushing in some lawn sand. Apart from that I have no ideas. 

jamesharcourt

hogweed said:

It could be poor drainage on that bit. I would try spiking it thoroughly and brushing in some lawn sand. Apart from that I have no ideas. 

Actully I suspected the same.  We have solid clay deeper down underneath the 3 inches or so of sandy loam that was placed underneath the turf.  I wonder if that has formed a solid bowl underneath and the amount of rainfall is just sitting there with the grass roots soaking in that.

If that is the case, would all that grass be dead/dying?  Or can it recover with some aeration like you suggest?

Rubytoo

Was the ground well prepared beforehand?
Sorry that is a bit like hogweeds suggestion already.
Nothing like an old path foundation not fully removed, or a tree removed where old roots may still lie underground.

I removed an old dead cherry tree a couple of years ago. Although I took out a lot of old root, there are some long strip type patches that leave similar looking areas to yours, ours is because of mycellium of fungus/ toadstools, making the soil dry.

jamesharcourt

Rubytoo said:

Was the ground well prepared beforehand?
Sorry that is a bit like hogweeds suggestion already.
Nothing like an old path foundation not fully removed, or a tree removed where old roots may still lie underground.

I removed an old dead cherry tree a couple of years ago. Although I took out a lot of old root, there are some long strip type patches that leave similar looking areas to yours, ours is because of mycellium of fungus/ toadstools, making the soil dry.

No.

Actually there was grass there before But it was on even so I lifted it all exposing the clay subsoil. We basically filled in and levelled with several inches of sandy loam. And the turf was laid on top of that to actually achieve a level lawn. As you can see from the picture a year after it was done it looked pretty much perfect. The problem seems to have come in in the last month or so.

lydiaann

Not a comment on the lawns - there seems to be plenty of good advice there.  But what a lovely garden you have created - well done!

jamesharcourt

lydiaann said:

Not a comment on the lawns - there seems to be plenty of good advice there.  But what a lovely garden you have created - well done!

many thanks!  it's a labour of love / obsession ... 

jamesharcourt

A few more close up pictures here 

JennyJ

There's a fungal disease called red thread that affects lawns - could that be the problem? https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=268

Lizzie27

I was just thinking the same when I saw the reddish colouration in the pic. Afraid I don't know anything about it. 

jamesharcourt

Many thanks @JennyJ and all, fingers crossed as it looks treatable!