newly seeded lawn grass turning brown - Ask Extension
Hi, last fall we had a landscaper level off a steep slope from the yard to the street and they hauled in new top soil. We had put seed down before ...
Knowledgebase
newly seeded lawn grass turning brown #878667
Asked July 24, 2024, 9:35 PM EDT
Hi, last fall we had a landscaper level off a steep slope from the yard to the street and they hauled in new top soil. We had put seed down before first snow and this spring with all the rain, we sowed some more seed and is filling in great. But this past week it all has been turning brown. Not totally, but we tried watering and it isn't getting green again. There is a large Oak that did get 'treated' with 3 types of chemicals around the base, but that was done over a month ago.
Do we need to add any type of fertilizer or????
thanks much
Scott County Minnesota
Expert Response
Without information on the type of soil you have as a base and what type of soil was brought in, it is hard to guess. The soil brought in was probably just layered on top of your native soil and it could be that a hard pan is formed because the soil types are so different. If that is the problem, you need to till the two types of soil together to allow to proper drainage. It also is possible that the oak is shading the area and the grass is not getting enough sunlight. Grass is a sun loving plant. Fescues will tolerate lower sun but even they need some direct sun. If that is the case, consider a shade tolerant ground cover instead of grass.
