Hello Tony,

There is a lot to consider here…

First, unfortunately, 2-3” of topsoil added over sand is not necessarily an aid for establishing a lawn. If that soil is not homogenized (blended with the top 6-8” of soil) the result is stratification. Stratification can lead to stunted root growth and watering issues. It is very difficult to make the added layer of topsoil a consistent depth over the whole area. Also, if the topsoil added has very good drainage, your irrigation can move through the topsoil quickly and go right through the sand and provide very little long-lasting benefit to the grass roots. Refer to Myth 4 in this article: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_shocking_truth_about_topsoil

Have you calibrated your irrigation to make sure you are providing an appropriate amount of water? Grass plants need 1 to 1 ½ inch of water a week. You can calibrate the “on-time” of each zone to ensure that each zone is providing enough and not too much water. This is commonly called the “tuna tin” test and is described in this reference: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_much_water_does_your_lawn_irrigation_system_apply

When you have watered sufficiently according to the tuna tin test, cut into a section of the lawn after watering and make sure that the water has travelled completely through the root zone. This test will verify that each watering is completely wetting the root zone of the grass plants. If not, you can increase the watering time of that zone accordingly.

Next, the reddish deposit on your cutting implements is generally indicative of a fungus infection such as lawn rust. After the starter fertilizer, did you apply any additional nitrogen? It is possible that you went from a nitrogen rich growth to a nitrogen depleted growth (not uncommon on soils with excess drainage) and that along with favorable environmental conditions caused the growth of a fungal infection. Your photos alone do not indicate conclusively that it was rust, but it is quite likely from your description. Fungal infections flourish when the grass stays damp through the night. Did you water late in the day or did you water early enough that the grass blades could dry completely before sunset? Unfortunately, with how severe the fungal infection was, you probably have spores overwintering, waiting for the right conditions to flourish again this summer. Here is an article on Lawn Rust disease that discusses cultural treatment including frequent, low rates of nitrogen application. https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-110-w.pdf

Now to address the current condition of the grass, one thing I notice is that it looks like the grass was very tall going into fall/winter. This is generally not a good condition for grass, because of the ability to mat down and provide a great home for winter fungal infections such as snow mold. It is possible that your grass is still dormant and may green up as the weather warms. Without knowing what cultivars were included in the hydroseed, I cannot tell for sure. You can carefully pull away the brown blades and see if the crown area of the grass is still green and alive. You could also dig out a plug of grass and see if the roots and crown are still alive and healthy or if there is really nothing under the mass of brown blades. If the grass does not green up this spring, you may be looking at reseeding again. If you need to reseed, all the dead grass and topsoil should be tilled to as deep a depth (about 6”) as possible. The dead grass will provide organic matter to the soil and tilling will help reduce the effects of stratification. Here are articles on spring lawn seeding:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/tips_for_reseeding_lawns_in_the_spring

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-20-w.pdf

I would suggest you have a soil test performed so you know what conditions you are facing with your soil and you will know what nutrients and amendments you will need to apply. Information on MSU soil tests can be found here: https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/get-started

Being on sandy soil, one of the suggestions you are likely to receive is the addition of organic matter. You can accomplish this by mulching your clippings back into your lawn, as well as mulching fall leaves onto the lawn by using a mulching mowing deck. Also, core aeration in the fall can help drive organic material deeper into the grass root zone.

My landscaper aerated and reseeded the lawn last week but never addressed any fungus issues. The ground still appears to have a fungus in some areas, and it is still active. I really think a second independent opinion is necessary, but I have no idea who to reach out to. Is there an expert in the Gaylord area that I could engage to come out and see the problem? 

Thanks

Hello Tony,

If you believe the fungus is still there and still active, carefully isolate a specimen of the grass that has the fungus and send it to the MSU Diagnostic Labs for positive identification. The following website describes the services and the fee structure for analysis performed by the Diagnostic Lab.: https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/

This website provides directions and tips for taking a good sample:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/submit-samples/

If you want a second opinion, we cannot recommend any one individual or company. The Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association is a listing of landscape professionals. You can access the directory at:

https://www.plantmichigangreen.com/aws/MNLA/pt/sp/layout_directory?get_content_from_session=1

This would be a good starting point for your search.

I hope this helps.