Question
QUESTION: I live in the San Joaquin Valley near Fresno. During the 1st week of June, I had about 1200 sq ft of dwarf fescue sod installed. The Co. that I hired did a sub-par installation leaving gaps,overlaps and sod rolled up along the edges. Prior to installing the sod, I rid the dirt of any weeds and had the dirt well graded and moist. Before laying the new sod I spread 5 pounds of "Scott's Starter Fertilizer" on the ground and rolled it. I did not test my soil prior to laying the sod.(just 1 of my numerous mistakes)The sod was well watered by pop-up sprinklers during the 1st 2 weeks. In the 1st week I went around the edges of the lawn and anywhere else I had seen sod overlapping. 2 weeks after the sod was laid I could see brown edges where the gaps were in the sod. A "Weed Man" came out to look at my lawn and told me that   the lawn was just stressed and that the rise in temperature was another cause. After the first mowing(2 weeks)everything was still full and green,except for the edges in the gaps and some spots around the edges. After 3-4 weeks there were 3-4 yellow brownish spots in the lawn. After my second mowing, those spots spread very fast and now 40% of the lawn is yellow and dead looking. 1 week ago I sprayed "ORTHO Garden Disease control" on the entire lawn. This seems to have stopped the spreading of the "yellow spots". I have decreased my watering(was watering 1 time a day for 20-30 mins each station for 3 weeks) My question to you is, what should I do next? There are green patches(the size of your hand)in the yellow patches. The yellow patch is basically    1 big spot now. I have my mower height at 2 1/2 inches and have bought a new blade also. Can I seed the yellow area or spray a fertilizer on it in a month or so? The ORTHO product calls for another spraying after 7-14 days. But 1 thing is that I don't really know what kind of fungus I even got. I either watered too much and brought on the turf disease or mowed too low with a dull blade. The lawn had a burnt rust look to it but with no film on the leaf prior to the yellow areas spreading, and they spread very fast. Can you give me any advise?

ANSWER: Mike,
If I read your description correctly about timing, products, symptoms, it appears that you may have made a perfect environment for a rust or fungus.
Scotts Starter is a high N product.  You watered more than adequately, maybe too much.  The temperatures were ideal.  All these things combined are a perfect fungus starter.
Alternately, the fertilizer may have burned the new roots, agravated by the temps.
Your application of Ortho Disease Control may have stopped a fungus in time.
First, I would consult with your contractor or the supplier of the turf about cultural practices.  www.sod.com claims to have pioneered dwarf fescue.
Second, I would stop watering until the plants show signs of drought stress.  Then, begin to water as needed, only enough to keep it alive until cool weather returns.
Third, when cool weather returns do two things:
a.  make another application of fungicide
b.  patch the turf with some new rolls of sod or take plants from a good section and place into the dead areas.  This can be done with pieces out of a roll or plugs dug with a trowel.
In late fall, after new patches show signs of recovery, fertilize with a low N product, 1-2 lbs/1000 sq. ft.
The temptation with new plantings is to give too much attention and have too little faith in the plant's ability to survive or know what to do.
Best of luck,
Tom


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Tom. I contacted "Scott's" about their product and how it was applied and to my shock was told that "in no way was their product the reason for my problems because I had spread their product on the ground and then rolled it prior to laying the sod, thus making their product useless. They said that it should have been applied on top of the sod. That explanation from "Scott's" is 100 opposite from the directions that are printed on that product. Their product also states "guaranteed not to burn". I followed their directions and will never buy another product from them due to their lying to me about the application, makes no sense to me why they would tell me something completely opposite. Either way I am not blaming anyone but myself so I don't know why they would lie,but they did, it ain't like I am going to sue them, lol. Tom, how cool of weather before I make another application of fungicide? ORTHO told me to apply their product when temp was under 90 degrees. Tom, I agree with you, I loved most likely loved my lawn to death, but why didn't all of it turn to yellow? I really miss my old "dominant weed" lawn, it was greener.lol gotta laugh now cuz stress can cause problems in people too. Believe me.

Answer
Mike,
You have a healthy sense of humor about the incident.  Hats off.
Scott's is right about liability.  The combination of moisture, temperature and abundant nitrogen brought on the fungus, which is what the symptoms describe.  The slow release character of the Starter may or may not work in contact with the ground.  I do not know.  But 20% N is still high.
90 degrees seems to be a good limit for almost any pesticide (generically, any chemical for horticulture.)
The "hybrid" lawn is almost trouble free, certainly.  But your care will yield good results.  And you will find out how to do that because you care.

Best again,
Tom
"Grass, certainly.  We grow it.  We don't smoke it."