Help! Diseased/dying areas in new turf.

Hi,
First time posting and I am a complete novice in the garden. We laid turf down just over a month ago, watered it regularly, mowed after about two weeks with a borrowed mower, continued to water regularly then started using/children playing on it just before the four week mark. Mowed it for a second time last week with a new mower. A couple of days later the grass started to look bad in areas and I think it could be spreading, photos attached.
Hoping someone can tell me what it is, possibly what has caused it but most importantly how I can fix it.
Thanks in advance.

 

Does the dead grass have a pinky / red tingle at the end of the grass ? have you used any feed / other on the lawn since ?

 

Welcome Adam.

Was fertiliser used at all?

 

Thank you for reply. No pinky red tingle thus far. I used fertiliser in the first week but haven’t used anything since.

 

Thank you - I used fertiliser in the first week but nothing since. Grass was green and growing well all over until just this week where these patches occurred over random areas.

 

Did you notice this after a cut? Looks like you cut the lawn in the heat as this shows this type of light look to grass.

 

Thank you. Yes it was the day after the cut. Is there anything I can do to save it?

 

I seem to recall answering a similar question recently.

Adam. Welcome to the forum. Your problem is to me, a typical text book one. Please bare with me, as I talk you through it.

OK. You recently laid a new lawn. With respect. You kept it well watered. Then you ventured forth and borrowed a friends mower and gave it a cut. Good for you, but. That damned annoying, 'but'.

Might you have inocently overwatered the lawn. Then out comes the mower. I respect you are a newbie to gardening. Mowing a newly laid lawn, or even a seeded one. Set the mower to HIGH. just trim the tips pf the grass. Keep an eye on the watering. Look for areas that puddle. Looking at your pics, I'd say these are identified. So. Ease up on the watering. Now consider adjusting the cutting height of the mower. Be patient and take your time. A newly laid lawn cannot become a bowing green in a couple of days. If you can. Take a look at the grass plant. TES grass is made up of many plants. You will see that most diagrams show a plant with roots below an indicated soil level. Then jus a wee bit above. The plant has this swollen bit. In general terms this is known as the growing node. Now then. All plants have the habbit of not only growing downwrds but as desired, upwards. This node is perhaps the most valuable part of the plant. Sever it and ....you've killed it.

So don't be too drastic with the first mowing. Raise the cutter and be satisfied with simply trimming the tips. Futer mowings lower the cut.

IMHO the problems with your lawn. Areas where downward pressure has been applied, ie; walking, playing etc. Here, due to perhaps over watering, pockets of marshyness have formed. Now add to this, perhaps, the cutter has been a bit too aggressive, some blades of grass have been missed but damged. These have lain low and nature has stepped in, causing this rotting thingy... Hold back on the watering. leave the mowing fore a while. Then start from scratch. Try and rake out the dead bits.

 

Thanks for the reply Mike. It is definitely possible that the lawn was overwatered as was so worried about the turf not setting properly, and then the first mow was too aggressive even though the subsequent mow was on the highest setting as have now learned that is best. Will have a go with the raking and leave off on the watering and mowing as suggested, thanks!

 

It will be fine, just pick your times so it’s not cut in the heat of the day. Will soon bounce back.

 

Will do, thank you very much