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lawn brown ead and dying patches...

hi everyone.. my lawn which was lush and green in may is now covered in dead and dying brown patches. i do not know what is causing it.. dad sai ants which i ahve  alot off and neighbour says dragonfle larve.. but it is everywhere.. will try and add picture tomorrow.

 

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Is it the grass that is dying, or is it heaps of soil from ants' nests?

    By the way, it won't be dragonfly larvae as they lay their eggs in ponds.  I expect your neighbour means cranefly larvae (known as leatherjacketsimage) - they eat the roots of plants - 

    http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly

    When you see starlings and crows probing into the turf on meadows and playing fields etc it's the cranefly larvae that they are looking for.  It may be that this is a bad year for leatherjacket infestations as they like the ground to remain damp throughout the summer. 

    If it is leatherjackets it will be the grass itself that is yellowing and dying (not heaps of soil).  If you have a bad infestation you can treat with nematodes vhttp://www.harrodhorticultural.com/nemasys-leatherjacket-killer-pid7625.html and it's cominng up to the right time of year to do it.

    If it is ants making ant hills, then there are also nematodes to deal with them http://www.unwins.co.uk/nemasys-no-ants-pid2590.html

    We've got red ants in our lawn, but as we've got green woodpeckers in the area I'm hoping that the ants will attract them to our garden and they will deal with them for us.

     

     


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • @dovefromabove... there is not really any humps of soil.. only a few.. but it it the grass.. just dying and dried out and dead..can just scrap it off.. so youmay be right.. so it is cranefly larvae..  the magpies do go around sticking their beaks on..

    so i will check out links you gave me.. thank you.. i cant bear to look at it at mo.. was looking so gorgeous at beginning of year.. now it is dreadful.

    hubby happy as now he can breath sigh of relief.,.he thought he might of done it when cutting the grass.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Before your Hub gets too relaxed about things there are a few things he can do to help image

    Ask him to get a  lawn rake  and give the lawn a good raking to remove any dead grass and thatch, and then spike the lawn all over with a fork to improve the drainage, and when he mows the lawn ask him not to mow it too short as 'scalping' the grass won't help.  Then a dose of summer lawn feed or even some 'seed & feed' should improve things.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • @dovefrom above.. hubby dont do that.. green thumb do.. they gave it feed and what not last month.. said nothing about brown patches.. they scraified and airated it etc in march so wont do again till october.. i have rung  them and got them coming to have a look at it..

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Now I'm worrying - there's just a possibility that it mght be fusarium which can be spread from one lawn to another on equipment - does it look anything like this? 

    http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=563

    or the patches on the bottom page of this link http://www.yorkshirelawncare.com/pdf/redthread&fusariumfinal.pdf


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Just one suggestion-is there a dog that visits the garden?-or perhaps a fox?

     

  • @dovefromabove. no nothing like those.. it had red thread last year andhtey treated after we had snow.. or was that year beforeimage no white stuff or redness to it.. just yellow then dying..

    @geoff.. not dogs no.. but we get foxes round here and badgers too..

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    I think a picture is going to help answer this-it is just stabbing in the dark at the moment

    So can you post a picture please?image

  • of geoff.. will take one tomorrow.. as too dark now.. that is if not raining to much.. thanks for replies.. much appreciated.

  •                ok here are some piccies taken this morning...

                     

    image

     

                   

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     i cant see an y red thread or white mouldon it anywhere.. just looks like it is dying..  here it was on the 9th aug just starting to show signs...

                     

    image

     and now..

                     

    image

     i am at a loss really.. gutted was so lush adn green before..

     

     

                   

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