Knowledgebase
Shee[ Fescue turning Brown #873516
Asked June 17, 2024, 6:14 PM EDT
Crook County Oregon
Expert Response
Here are some photos of my Sheep Fescue that I intended to send.
James Barrett, Architect
From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2024 3:15 PM
To: Jim Barrett <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Thank you for your Ask Extension question (#0143434)
Dear Jim,
Thank you for using Ask Extension. A request for support has been created and a representative will follow-up with you as soon as possible. Questions are usually answered within two business days. You can view this question's progress online.
YOUR QUESTION #0143434:
Shee[ Fescue turning Brown
Hi - I have some Sheep Fescue that is turning brown in spots. See attached photo. The area gets lots of water and I fertilized in April. These brown areas started several weeks ago. Any thoughts. Jim=<personal data hidden>
Ask Extension offers one-to-one expert answers from Cooperative Extension/University staff and volunteers within participating Land-Grant institutions across the United States.
If you wish to provide additional comments or information regarding the issue, please login to your account for a complete archive of your prior questions and answers.
This message for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for personalized professional advice. For specific local information, contact your local county Cooperative Extension office or other qualified professionals. eXtension Foundation does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, professional services, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned. Reliance on any information provided by eXtension Foundation, employees, suppliers, member universities, or other third parties through eXtension is solely at the user's own risk. All eXtension content and communication is subject to the Terms of Use which may be revised at any time.
Attached is a link to several Photos of my Sheep Fescue issue as we discussed yesterday. In general hear is what I found.
- The soil approx. 2-3 inches deep (before watering) was mostly dry, perhaps damp closer to the top of the root zone.
- The established grass where brown was dryer than where green. The greed areas tend to be closer to the sprinkler although the sprinklers appear to be covering the entire area.
- I examined the plugs cut from the margin green/brown did not have any obvious bugs or fungus. When washed the grass stems looked clear and healthy with the exception of trying to turn brown.
- As I mentioned I cut back the water several weeks ago to 5 minutes every day because the zone also waters potted plants that need frequent water. I’m wondering if these areas just need more water.
Today I gave the areas a large dose of water and am planning to fertilize the area with McPheeters Turf Yellow 20-6-6 with 10% sulfur and 2% Iron. Same as I have used in the past several time a year.
Any thoughts you can call Jim at<personal data hidden>
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0ceOVhgP3nqPUaWFXDFJaPmFg
James Barrett, Architect
From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2024 3:26 PM
To: Jim Barrett <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Your reply was successfully added to your Ask Extension question (#0143434)
Your observations make me think that it's worth playing out the too little water hypothesis.
- Give them a couple of good deep drinks of water with a hose - maybe every other day for a week or so and see what happens.
- Consider increasing the run time of your irrigation and decreasing the frequency to encourage water to move deeper into the soil profile and hopefully spur the plants to grow a deeper, more resilient root system.
- Evaluate the pattern of distribution of water from your irrigation system. Maybe it's applying less in the poor areas. Lay out some empty tuna cans (or other low, straight-walled containers) across the different areas of the lawn (with a few in the good and a few in the poor areas) and then run the irrigation system for a little while (the standard amount of time for each zone). Then measure the depth of the water in each can with a ruler. This depth of water in the cans should be consistent across the different areas of the lawn, and if it's not, some adjustment of sprinklers/nozzles may be required.
Thanks
Gordon
