Question
We had new lawn established last fall with falcon III.  It came up lush and green. A starter fertilizer was applied in Nov. This spring was very wet, then very hot and dry. A pre-emergence was applied in April.  Our lawn is now mostly brown.  What happened?  We have red clay soil.  Will it come back with watering which we have started? Thanks.

Answer
Developed at the McCarthy-Burlingham Research Farm in Oregon, Falcon III is an improved strain of heat- and disease-resistant 1970's era Falcon Tall Fescue, distinguished for its legendary drought resistance and slow metabolism (i.e., less mowing).  This is a great American Grass.  Assuming you sowed this Fescue in Cool Season Grass country, Autumn was the perfect time of year to do that.

What bothers me about your question is your statement that you applied 'a starter fertilizer', and later 'a pre-emergence' (which I assume is weedkiller).  Now your Lawn is brown and you are noting after all this that you have Red Clay Soil.

So my friend, when did you do your Soil Test?  Never?

What fertilizer did you use?  And why?  Did you think you need one?  Why?

This is 2008.  It's more than 100 years since they invented Fertilizer in Germany.  You would think that people would have advanced in their understanding of Lawn nutrition.  But the power of the Dollar is too strong, and although there is so much more we know about it, Americans (the world's biggest lawn lovers) more or less continue to use outdtated and inferior Lawn cultivation methods.  The Golf community is a conservative group, but even they grow Grass very differently.  And no Greensman worth his salt would invest in fertilizer s/he didn't need, a determination s/he would make by analyzing the soil in the annual Soil test.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Regardless, it was most likely your 'starter fertilizer' was not at fault.  But I would like to know what you used, and how much you put down, along with at least the name of the State you are writing from to get a ballpark idea of your climate.  Fescue is a very popular Grass.

Tall Fescue is a Grass that asks for very little.  A single feeding -- if needed -- will make it thick and vigorous enough that you can eliminate Weeds simply by mowing it correctly.  No fall feeding, no starter ferilizer, no pre-emergent needed.  Too much fertilizer (especially Nitrogen) stresses the Grass, making it vulnerable to Fungus attacks and Weed invasion.  Your Soil is the key.  Grow healthy Tall Fescue and you will not have to do much else except mow it to grow a perfectly beautiful Lawn.  If you do TOO much, you will overstimulate your Grass and maybe cause a lot of problems.

Perhaps you moved from another region and figured you could grow Grass the way you've always grown it.  If it isn't broke, don't fix it.  I understand.

Always do a Soil test.  Do one every year if you readlly want to show your Grass how much you love it.

Tell me, was the Lawn uniformly Brown?  Or did you see patches of light Green that erupted all over until they were all Brown?

Do you know what Fusarium Blight looks like?

rsvp

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER