What the Hell...Strip.

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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mitten
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What the Hell...Strip.

Post by mitten » June 22nd, 2017, 10:25 pm

I'm puzzled by what's happening on my hell strip. This is not happening anywhere else. I have noticed quite a few ants in the area. Could that be enough to do this damage? A lot of dog walkers go by but it doesn't really look like a pattern of dog urine. Any ideas?
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ezael
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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by ezael » June 22nd, 2017, 11:23 pm

I've got a couple of spots similar to that. Check for grubs? Dry spot? Heat stress?

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Green » June 23rd, 2017, 12:34 am

My money is on heat stress. How hot has it been, how much sun does it get, and how often has it rained or have you watered those areas?

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mitten
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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by mitten » June 23rd, 2017, 10:03 am

I suppose it could be heat stress. It's in full sun and it's been hot. For some reason it looks suspicious to me though. Especially how that one smaller spot is just dead all of a sudden but nothing around it is brown.

I did put Grubex down earlier this spring as some relatively cheap insurance. I should probably check the area for grubs.

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Marinegrunt » June 23rd, 2017, 10:33 am

I'm not sure where you're located but we've had hot weather here in Central IL for a few weeks already. One of our neighbors up the road has a plastic corrugated culvert that runs under their drive and then about 60 feet under their lawn until it exits into a ditch. You can see a line of dead grass about 6" wide the whole length of the culvert. It sticks out at each end about a foot so I'm guessing that's where it sucks the heat up. Actually, more of it is probably from the concrete covering it on the drive too. I'd be curious how much hotter the soil is in areas like that or in hell strips during peak heat compared to other parts of the lawn. Concrete really sucks and holds the heat it. You could probably dig a hole in your hell strip, throw a roast wrapped in foil in it in the morning, and have it ready for supper by 6:00. :good:


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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Gags » June 23rd, 2017, 10:44 am

Odd pattern for heat stress with a green strip adjacent to the pavement, then the brown in the middle.

Sorry to answer a question with a question - could this be delayed effects of winter salt damage, or would that be seen in early spring?

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Marinegrunt » June 23rd, 2017, 11:22 am

That's true Gags. It is kind of patchy. Is it possible that it is heat stress but it's just hitting the kbg or tttf harder and one is still thriving? What type or types of grass do you have?

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by edenl01 » June 23rd, 2017, 1:02 pm

Try giving it a poke with a screwdriver. Around our walks and driveway there is only about 2" of soil before you hit gravel fill and waste concrete pieces.

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Green » June 23rd, 2017, 1:06 pm

Have you tried probing the areas? Screwdriver test.

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mitten
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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by mitten » June 23rd, 2017, 3:10 pm

I will give it a poke with a screwdriver. Am I just looking for how many inches of good soil I have? I could always use my pro plugger for that and see the layers. The spot seems a bit sandy where the rest of my yard is harder clay. Would fungus or some other disease be ruled out?

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Green » June 23rd, 2017, 3:29 pm

First step is to just see if there's hard soil or even rocks. Check a bunch of areas.

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Marinegrunt » June 23rd, 2017, 5:43 pm

What Eden and Green are referring to is probing to see if there are chunks of concrete or rock 2"-6" or so below the topsoil. When concrete is poured the base is made out of sand, sand with bigger gravel, or even sometimes rock. It doesn't always get placed directly where the concrete is poured. Also, when they screed the concrete the excess is pulled over the forms and hardens at the edge of the driveway or sidewalk. I doubt too many contractors clean it up but rather throw soil on top. You may have a bunch of rock and concrete chunks a few inches under your topsoil in that whole area. Probing will let you know.

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Liquid3d » June 23rd, 2017, 6:36 pm

He's not kidding you never know what you'll find. the other day when digging up an area that always has issues i found the following.
a 6' length of chain tied to an old Dawn shaped plastic bottle.
Broken Glass
an old plastic hotwheels type car
and a ton of charred wood.
Someone must have used it as a dumping ground at some point.

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by DJT » June 23rd, 2017, 7:21 pm

Look at my most recent post and then read this:

http://iaturf.blogspot.com/2010/06/asco ... -iowa.html

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by DJT » June 23rd, 2017, 7:54 pm

DJT wrote:
June 23rd, 2017, 7:21 pm
Look at my most recent post and then read this:

http://iaturf.blogspot.com/2010/06/asco ... -iowa.html
http://iaturf.blogspot.com/2010/06/asco ... -iowa.html

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by smast16 » June 23rd, 2017, 8:16 pm

I found this when after doing screwdriver test
Image

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Green » June 23rd, 2017, 8:52 pm

smast16 wrote:
June 23rd, 2017, 8:16 pm
I found this when after doing screwdriver test
Image
Isn't that crazy?

Similar experience here a couple of years ago:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16984&p=232034&hili ... te#p232034

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by Marinegrunt » June 24th, 2017, 9:49 am

It's crazy what some people bury. When I replaced the culvert last summer and extended the with width of the drive I found all kinds of junk. I found 4 sets of venetian blinds, a tire rim, glass, a baby doll head, and just a bunch of small junk. What I didn't get is it was buried 6' away from where you place your trash cans for pick up. I guess they thought it would make good fill. :confused:

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by smast16 » June 26th, 2017, 8:41 pm

Ha! I've found the dolls, Tonka trucks, the emptied mulch bags under the mulch, fish tank rocks, green Christmas garland and, even a tin of good ol' mustache wax. It's like a treasure hunt when ever I plant anything.

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Re: What the Hell...Strip.

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » June 26th, 2017, 9:06 pm

I found stuff for YEARS under my hell strips, even after I thought I got it tall.

One time it was a 1' diameter iron access point for the water supply line that had been covered by 2 inches of soil. And so many pockets of pea gravel

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