What's wrong with my grass!? (patches of dead and living tuffts)

[wooties]

I moved into a new home 3 months ago, they had dogs. The dogs ruined the backyard, I'd thought. Though, I see this and think it's something different. There is a ton of thatch, this I know. I should have dethatched and overseaded earlier in the spring.. maybe I still will or should I? I've fertilized and used insect killer for lawns.. I need help identifying what my issue may be.

I'm watering 3 days a week, the grass needs a little more watering time, I'm ticking up the watering time. The sprinkler coverage isn't great, but it gets mostly everywhere. What is this?

 

[exotion]

I moved into a new home 3 months ago, they had dogs. The dogs ruined the backyard, I'd thought. Though, I see this and think it's something different. There is a ton of thatch, this I know. I should have dethatched and overseaded earlier in the spring.. maybe I still will or should I? I've fertilized and used insect killer for lawns.. I need help identifying what my issue may be.

I'm watering 3 days a week, the grass needs a little more watering time, I'm ticking up the watering time. The sprinkler coverage isn't great, but it gets mostly everywhere. What is this?

<img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=14983"/>
<img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=14984"/>

Try some iron next year thatch and over seed iron this week and next high nitrogen fertilizer maybe a 25-10-10 ish

 

[exotion]

I disagree about the high nitrogen, I'd stay away from the nitrogen. It looks to me like that's already the problem (Nitrogen Overload from the dogs that were there) and I'd cut back on the watering to once a week, all that's doing is making matters worse and putting down more fertilizer isn't going to help.

That's what the iron is for it'll help get deep down and green it out then with proper water it'll green up then you get a good mix with a higher nitrogen to balance rest of yard.

 

[Ric]

I moved into a new home 3 months ago, they had dogs. The dogs ruined the backyard, I'd thought. Though, I see this and think it's something different. There is a ton of thatch, this I know. I should have dethatched and overseaded earlier in the spring.. maybe I still will or should I? I've fertilized and used insect killer for lawns.. I need help identifying what my issue may be.

I'm watering 3 days a week, the grass needs a little more watering time, I'm ticking up the watering time. The sprinkler coverage isn't great, but it gets mostly everywhere. What is this?

I disagree about the high nitrogen, I'd stay away from the nitrogen. It looks to me like that's already the problem, it looks like (Nitrogen Overload from the dogs that were there) and I'd cut back on the watering to once a week, all that's doing is making matters worse and putting down more fertilizer isn't going to help. As far as fixing the problem or answers for fixing the problem as far as I know there are no products on the market that can provide you a quick fix. Basically you'll have to remove the dead grass and take a soil sample and get it tested and they will tell you what to use to bring your soil back to the right pH, then you can re-seed or put down sod to repair the lawn.

 

[Ric]

That's what the iron is for it'll help get deep down and green it out then with proper water it'll green up then you get a good mix with a higher nitrogen to balance rest of yard.

As far as the Iron goes, you don't know that will help until you have the soil tested and if it is nitrogen overload from the dogs that left I sure wouldn't want to add anymore. The reason I think it's from the dogs is because it's in one area or section of the lawn and not the whole lawn and dogs tend to go back or stay in the area they use or mark. JMO he can do what ever he likes.

 

[jimrs]

That is from dogs? How many did they have? I have 3 now but last year 5 and never seen them do grass like that. I think you have more problems than dogs. Get a soil sample look to me like the dirt used to level and fill after the house was built was fill dirt not topsoil and you might need some good amendments added to get your lawn in shape.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would take a soil sample first and see what you need. I suspect the soil could benefit from amendments tilled in too. I would likely start over with this yard, add sprinklers, add amendments and till to mix in and reseed in perrenial rye and tall fescue.

I suspect this grass died off due to lack of water and poor preperation to start with. If you look at it closely the rest of the yard doesn't look to good either, really needs better initial preperations.

 

[possum]

I would just find out what type of grass died and avoid planting any more of that. Then I would plant a lot more of the type that did not die. I would do that this fall.

 

[Lawnboy18]

One of my neighbors had the exact same problem with two dogs in a small backyard. In the end it was so bad that there was almost nothing left of the grass. I just needed to pass the trimmer here and there. But, the next summer the grass was back and greener than ever! All that dog **** made the grass so green and strong! So, you might think this is really stupid, but I would say do nothing! Let nature do it's job! Your grass has succomb a fertilizer overload from the dogs.