Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

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surfnturf
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Location: Brown Deer, WI Zone 5B
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Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by surfnturf » April 13th, 2019, 12:16 pm

This will be my 2nd summer. I noticed this happened last year on the north side of the house on a small strip that is mostly shaded.

I went to rake up some residual leaves (nothing major) and pick up branches, and pretty much that whole side is dead...and rakes up like carpet. Is this common before the grass comes back in the spring? My grass in the front doesn't do that. When I rake across it, there is nothing but dirt under there. I don't see any grubs either.

PW405
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by PW405 » April 13th, 2019, 1:02 pm

If you're confident that some type of critter isn't eating the roots. (Cinch bugs, possibly?) I do believe certain types of fungus (root rot?) could be one possible explanation. This article, while focused on warm season grass in Texas, explains a method to test for Cinch bugs:

https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/wp-content/u ... tsheet.pdf

surfnturf
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Location: Brown Deer, WI Zone 5B
Grass Type: ryegrass, fescues
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by surfnturf » April 13th, 2019, 4:39 pm

Are we allowed to upload pictures?

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turf_toes
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by turf_toes » April 13th, 2019, 8:02 pm

Click on the blue link reading “add image to post”

kbgfarmer
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by kbgfarmer » April 29th, 2019, 10:48 pm

surfnturf wrote:
April 13th, 2019, 12:16 pm
This will be my 2nd summer. I noticed this happened last year on the north side of the house on a small strip that is mostly shaded.

I went to rake up some residual leaves (nothing major) and pick up branches, and pretty much that whole side is dead...and rakes up like carpet. Is this common before the grass comes back in the spring? My grass in the front doesn't do that. When I rake across it, there is nothing but dirt under there. I don't see any grubs either.
Shaded area makes me think that you may have poa trivialis. It tends to appear to disappear during the heat of summer only to return when temps cool down. It also easily peels up like carpet. I could be wrong though. It likes wet shaded areas.


bpgreen
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by bpgreen » May 1st, 2019, 12:41 am

When I saw the subject, I thought, "because it's sad."

Then I realized tear as in rhymes with fair, not rhymes with fear.

surfnturf
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Location: Brown Deer, WI Zone 5B
Grass Type: ryegrass, fescues
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by surfnturf » May 5th, 2019, 3:12 pm

LOL. Yeah if my lawn could cry, it would most certainly be tearing up.

I found out that my issue is that I have layers of thatch...due to leaf buildup.

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turf_toes
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by turf_toes » May 5th, 2019, 4:45 pm

surfnturf wrote:
May 5th, 2019, 3:12 pm
LOL. Yeah if my lawn could cry, it would most certainly be tearing up.

I found out that my issue is that I have layers of thatch...due to leaf buildup.
You don’t have thatch.

Thatch is not a buildup of dead grass leaves. It is a buildup of rhizomes and stolons.

You are growing Rye and Fescue. You’ll normally rarely ever have to worry about thatch problems with those grasses. Neither of those grasses produce rhizomes or stolons. (With a few exceptions)

If the person who told you you have thatch issues is a “lawn professional,” my advice is to run away and never listen to anything he says again.

You may have issues with your lawn. But thatch is almost certainly not one of them.

john5246
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by john5246 » May 7th, 2019, 1:52 pm

Have you checked for grubs? I heard this can happen if grubs or some other insect destroys the roots

KnickLeDime
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Re: Why does my lawn tear up like carpet?

Post by KnickLeDime » May 8th, 2019, 1:06 pm

john5246 wrote:
May 7th, 2019, 1:52 pm
Have you checked for grubs? I heard this can happen if grubs or some other insect destroys the roots
Last fall, I had confirmed massive damage from grubs...this is exactly what happened. I could very easily just scrape the grass off with my foot. Check for grubs. Many times also accompanied for pencil like pock-marks from birds digging for grubs.

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