New Turf brown patch

Good Evening All,

We have recently noticed brown patch on our newly laid turf. Turf was laid last year October and has been going good until now when we noticed this brown patch at 2 places and looks like it is growing. There is no sun on one of spots which is more brown than other, surely I don’t think this has been caused by sun as trees from neighbours doesn’t let any direct sunlight on this patch.
Tried to read on Internet and they referred to Brown patch disease. Has someone got any idea what this could be and how can we stop this from spreading.

I use to water the turf every evening until few weeks back. From last 2 weeks we have been watering every day in morning for 20 mins.
I cut the turf work Flymo electric lawnmower at 4cm (it’s a middle setting so not too short). We also recently got “Green Thumb” company to do feed and weed control (around start of April).
Attached the picture for reference. Please advise us.
Thanks
Kaps

 

Hello Kaps. When first reading your post, I mentally pictured a square of tuf that had more or less died. You say the turf is new, but it's been laid for over a year. The area you say is perhaps a little void of sunlight.

IMHO I do not think this to be any form of disease. Yes it can be distracting to the eye. Might I make a suggestion.

Just on the affected area. Lower your cut. Having cut it, now rake up, basically gently scarify just that patch, then wait and see. Avoid using any feeds etc. See how things go fo a couple of weeks and please get back to me.

 

Hi Mike

Thanks for your advise. I will do as you said and will see if that makes any difference. The only thing odd we noticed is this same patch is on one another place and these both areas were just fine a week ago.
But as you advised we will leave it for couple of weeks and see if that progresses to wider area. Thanks again for your reply.

Thanks

 

Just a thought. It looks as if that area may have been given to much fertiliser and has burnt slightly. I would say Mike's advice is the way forward to see what happens.

 

I did think about possible damage caused by feeds etc. More to the point grass mould came to my mind.

I first encountered this long before becoming professionaly/scientifically involved with horticulture. Seeing it as a dust-like substance on standing grass and observing how easily with the slightest disturbance, the fine dust-like particles could be dispersed. Later I learned that it was in fact a type of fungi.

Some time later my father and I had cut lots of hay for animal feed. Suddenly a couple of the rabbits, ( we kept rabbits for the table) began to cough. Upon totally cleaning out the hutches, we noticed that some of the hay hadn't thoroughly dried and was covered in this greyish brownish powder-like coating. Thankfully the rabbits recovered, but it had been a touch and go situation. Later still I learned, whilst looking into general medicine, that there are many similarities with many animals regarding their respiritory systems to ours.

Later still whilst studying my groundsmans course. This mould was cited in a lesson. By all accounts it is a real danger to horses, as it can seriously affect their breathing and can kill. For the life of me, I can't bring to mind the scientific names etc at the moment. No doubt thgere is info on the internet.

Hope this helps.

 

I know of the mould you are talking about @Mike Allen and I can't think what it is either.