NJ Lawns Community

I'm at my wit's end! I've been running my irrigation system every single morning for the past month in my Paramus backyard - we're talking 20 minutes per zone, every day - and those brown patches just keep spreading! I seeded this yard 3 years ago with what the garden center guy said was a good NJ blend, water accordingly, and yet it's looking worse than when I started. I'm basically pouring money down the drain and my neighbors are starting to talk. My kids can't even play on the grass without coming back with brown stains all over their clothes. Someone tell me what's worth doing here because I'm ready to rip it all out and put in patio stones at this point.

Alright, let me give you some things to think about before you go tearing everything out. How long exactly have you been watering every day? And what time of day are you running that irrigation? Because honestly, watering daily in August/September in Bergen County is actually a big part of your problem - you're creating perfect conditions for fungal diseases like brown patch and dollar spot. Those fungi THRIVE in wet, humid conditions that never dry out. Also, what's your soil like? Have you ever done a soil test? Compacted clay soil is everywhere in this area and no amount of watering fixes that - it just runs off. What grass type did you plant - Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, or a mix?

Running it every morning starting at 6am, so right when the sun comes up. I'm on clay - yeah definitely clay, when we dug a fence post hole it was like digging into pottery. No soil test though, just assumed I needed to water more because the grass kept dying. The seed I got was supposed to be a Tall Fescue/KBG blend from Bergen County Garden Center, some local mix they recommended. But GrassGuru if watering daily is the problem then what DO I do? I'm confused because every article says to water deeply but infrequently - and now you're saying daily is too much? I've also noticed those brown spots seem to spread faster after we get a random rainstorm - like the rain sets them off or something?

Yes, exactly! Rain + daily watering = fungal paradise. That's classic brown patch, look it up - theRhizoctonia solani fungus loves temps in the 70s-80s with high humidity, which is exactly what we've had all month. The pattern you're describing ('spreads faster after rain') is textbook. Here's what I'd do: 1) Stop watering daily immediately - go to 2-3 times per week MAX, water early morning, and water DEEP (like 1 inch per watering including rainfall). 2) Get a fungicide - something with propiconazole or azoxystrobin. I've had good luck withScotts DiseaseEx or Bayer Advanced Fungus Control. 3) That clay soil is likely causing drainage issues - once you fix the fungus, consider aerating this fall. You can rent an aerator from the home depot in Paramus or Ridgefield, it's like $60 for 4 hours.

Okay this is genuinely helpful information, thank you. I had NO idea I was essentially making it worse by watering every day. The things we don't know, right? Quick question though - would you recommend I aerate now or wait until fall? And is there any point in trying to salvage what's left of the current grass or should I just accept it's a lost cause and re-seed? I'm worried about seeding this late in the season - is it too late for a Tall Fescue overseed in North Jersey?

Don't seed now, that's a waste in late September - soil temps are dropping too fast and you'll get inconsistent germination. Focus on fixing the fungus FIRST, get some color back, then do your seeding in early October or wait until next spring (mid-April in Bergen County is prime time). For aeration, wait until fall - late September through October is perfect because the ground is still warm but the air cools down. Your grass will recover faster from the stress. Pick up some gypsum too, helps with clay soil structure over time. If the patches don't improve within 2-3 weeks after cutting back watering and applying fungicide, then we look at other issues - could be grubs, could be dog urine, could be something else entirely.