Question
We have a 2 yr. old yard.  This spring when our grass started greening we noticed many dead looking areas. After our Clemson Agriculture Extention analized our soil/grass we were told we had brown patch. We treat according to their recomendation which included raked all dead grass and thatch out completely then treat. After treatment was complete and proper time has passed we brought in organic compost soil mix. Resoded the worse part a 20 x 50' area. It has been over a month and now the new sod seems as if it is dying as well as MORE of the grass that was still green before. It looks awful as if it is just drying up and dying. We water early in the morning only about 2 times per week. We can't seem to find anything that is working or helping.  Our back yard is the same grass and it looks like a well cared for golf course, beautiful. Any ideas or suggestions would help. We are located in mid South Carolina. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Brenda;
What I have learned since switching to organics is, chemicals create problems, they don't sure them. At best they are a temporary bandaid.
I get much better results with baking soda disolved in water that I did with chemical fungicides I ever used.
Ogranics FIX the problems.
One thing too, you can't mix organics and chemicals.
The chemicals cancel out the benefits of the organics.
chemicals kill the natural preditors. they kill the good with the bad, and then the bad seem to be aboe to come back faster than the beneficial ones can.
Chemicls that don't kill fungus, and a lot of insects, DO kill beneficial microbes and nemetodes.
For every harmful insect that invade your lawn, there are hundreds of beneficial ones that feed on the harmful ones.
eEen cockroaches. They normally live in the ground, but we put down chemicals and that kills their food supply ( harmful insects) and threaten their lives, and drive them into our homes to find food and safety.They can hide behind walls etc where insecticides can't get to them.
how deeply do you water?
It doesn't matter how often yopu water, as much as how deep.
Shallow watering causes roots to come closer to the surface to get water, and they are exposed to heat cold and drought damage.
When they get to the surface, they die out, trap other debris and that is what causes a thatch buildup.
Water to a depth of at least 6 inches, and you should only have to water once a week, after the roots go very deep, because when the top few inches of the ground is dry, there is still moisture down where the roots are.
Watering early in the morning, if your front yard is shaded, can actually encourage the molds and fungus to grow, so the twice a week . early morning watering and keeping the surface damop, may actually be causing your problem.
I can't seem to find out for sure how much baking soda to add, so I have just added 1/4th cup per gallon of water. that works. Less may be needed, but as long as that works, until I find out I can safely cut back, I will use that much.
Spray the area to saturate the grass and soil well.

Another good fungicide is corn gluten.
This is the product left when they make corn syrup.
Howard Garrett, says corn gluten is the best weed and feed he has ever found.
I joined Howard Garrett's ground crew. That simply means I paid my yearly dues of about $25.00 and I have complete access to his entire website, and a monthky magazine and newsletter, the furums and his videos with scads of information on them.
When I have a couple of hours, I go to the website, oog in and go to the video page, and watch videos for a couple of hours. Like going to gardening school.
I am also learning a lot by reading the posts on the furums.
He is not just a Horticulturist, he is a scientist and maintains several test labs where he tries out all the new organic stuff that comes out.
It is well worth the money.
I worked so hard, for so many years, and had a mediocre lawn. Now I work very little, spend next to nothing, and have a gorgeaous lawn, and can grow anything, but weeds. LOL
I have a WEEDFREE lawn!!!!
Read some of my previous answers about organics . I hear from a lot of people how well the organics are working for them.
Up to now, I have only put sugar on ,my lawn each spring and summer, and used baking soda for fungicide, but with what I am learning on That site, I am trying a few more of the things now. Too soon to tell if they are really making that much difference, because since I have used just sugar for 8 years, my soil is so rich, there just isn't much room for improvement.
Check out the site at   www.dirtdoctor.com

Write me anytime you feel I can help.
Charlotte