[brettgoodyear]

So I'm new to cool season grasses and this year is my first year really putting lots of effort into my lawn. So far things have been going really well and my KBG PRG lawn has been thriving but yesterday I noticed some yellowing and that it wasn't generally looking as green as it had been. Upon further inspection it looks like I am starting to get a fungus problem. This is the first time I've had to deal with what I believe to be fungus so I don't really know where to start. I have easy access to fungicides but just don't know where to start any help directing me in the right direction would be great! Also not sure if its important but right now the grass is being mowed at 3/4 inch and its KBG PRG blend

 

[pennstater2005]

Fungus can be tough to visually diagnose but it definitely appears as such. What is the weather like in Utah? Wet, hot, and humid? Either way, getting down a preventative app of whatever fungicide you have on hand per label would be appropriate.

Linked is a chart of various fungicides by class/family and level of concern over resistance if overused. Which is why it generally advocated to switch between fungicides occasionally to avoid resistance.

https://turfdisease.osu.edu/sites/turfdisease/files/imce/Fungicide%20chart%2012918.pdf

 

[brettgoodyear]

Thanks @pennstater2005 I put down some Headway G granules (Active- Azoxystrobin - 0.31%
Propiconazole - 0.75%) at about 2 LBS per 1000 SF per label instructions. I will put down an application of another fungicide in 2 weeks like it says to. Its been a consistant 90 degrees here with little humidity or rain. I have been watering every 2 days at 40 mins per zone and it seems the areas most affected are the ones that have a heavier overlap from different zones. I think I am going to back it off to every three days and see if maybe it was just staying too moist. I also had the sprinklers going over night and I think that may have something to do with it since it drops down to the low 60's most nights here. I'm thinking of changing the sprinklers to start in the morning to keep the lawn cooler during the day but not remain wet overnight and hopefully prevent the fungus from getting worse.

 

[pennstater2005]

@brettgoodyear That sounds like a good plan!

 

[brettgoodyear]

Thanks man! The lawn looks pretty good overall but the little things are holding it back!

 

[pennstater2005]

@brettgoodyear I love the big rocks in your landscaping. I'd like to add that to my own someday.

 

[g-man]

@brettgoodyear Welcome to TLF

Looking at your zoom in image, 1) I dont think you could do those cuts with a D110, it looks like a reel cut. 2) i dont see PRG. Are you sure this is a PRG blend? 3) I dont see fungus, but a stressed lawn. what change recently? drastic weather change? HOC change?

 

[brettgoodyear]

@g-man thanks for the welcome! Yes I did recently acquire a greensmaster 1000 and dropped the HOC from 1 inch to 3/4. The previous homeowner told me that it was a blend but I do agree that it doesn't look like PRG in there. The weather has warmed up significantly to the mid to high 90s so a stressed lawn could most definitely be the case. Heres some more pics. If its stress what steps should I take?

 

[g-man]

I see mostly TTTF in those images. I would raise your HOC back to 1in.

 

[Suburban Jungle Life]

Looks like fescue to me too. Low cut fescue? Really cool! But it's called tall fescue... It likes to be tall. Like 4" tall... I wonder how it will fair at your height? Since you irrigate. How has it been doing at the previous 1"?

 

[brettgoodyear]

It has been pretty good at the 1 inch I really didn't notice the yellowing until the past week or so. The weather got way hotter and the change in HOC may be the biggest cause.

 

[Suburban Jungle Life]

Is this your first year with fescue in the summer at 1"? Did you experience this last year?

 

[brettgoodyear]

Yeah first year in the house, so first year for it being at 1 inch. It seemed to handle it really well at 1 inch though. I didn't think it would have been a huge shock to it at 3/4. Maybe it will bounce back?

 

[mtroberts20]

Based on the prominent mid-vein, it does not appear to be tall fescue to me. I think it is indeed PRG.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Curious about this as I am seeing something similar in my 3 way PRG blend in the back yard, but its cut high(3.5"), the leaves are browning from the top and bottom towards the middle. Some blades are just toast as in your picture.

Planning on spraying some bayer propiconazole hoping its fungus and i can stop it in its tracks.

We've had ideal weather here in the 65-80 range and arent really known for our humidity.

 

[pennstater2005]

I think with weather conditions as they are lately in a vast portion of the country fungus is present in a lot of lawns.

 

[Suburban Jungle Life]

Based on the prominent mid-vein, it does not appear to be tall fescue to me. I think it is indeed PRG.

You might be right about that one! Looks like a folded vernation, not rolled. Anyone else want to weigh in?