Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
greenrebellion
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Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » August 30th, 2019, 5:54 pm

Two issues I'd like to address.

First, I just finished mowing the grass, here is a sampling of the top of the blades. Looks torn to me, as always. I've tried sharpening my blades at different frequencies, looks like this even after they are just sharpened. I've also tried having the blades sharpened by different people/differnt shops. No difference. Honda HRX mower. Some blades are cut clean so it is inconsistent.

Image

Issue 2: Second year I've been dealing with this issue. After mowing grass looks yellowish brown as there is significant blade death and fungal spots lower down towards the crown. I just mowed at 3.0 inches. First shot is picture of the grass, second shot is what the clippings look like if I take the top inch off (cutting down to 2.5"). What am I dealign with here? I've spent hours searching on the internet for a fungal ID. I haven't fertilized since spring and have done frequent Serenade plus actinovate apps (at least every 2-3 weeks) since May.

Image

Image


Starting fall nitrogen regimen tomorrow but based on my experience last year, the grass will have this issue until Spring. Then the grass will look good until early June and the cycle starts again.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by PSU4ME » August 30th, 2019, 7:11 pm

Could that be shedding?

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » August 31st, 2019, 2:08 pm

Shedding in early June?

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 1st, 2019, 12:36 pm

Anyone? Really need help here.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by kwarny » September 2nd, 2019, 9:19 pm

Have you had your mower rpm check?

It appears the tips are more affected. Dooes it start at the tips and move down like ascochyta leaf blight?


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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 5th, 2019, 2:35 pm

I have not had mower RPM checked but will do so.

The tips are actually less affected, the picture was a cut of the top 1/2" of grass right after a mowing. So really it would be the middle section of grass to the base that is most affected. Despite lots of googling over the past year or two on various occasions, I have yet to really able to make a good diagnosis and Serenade plus Actinovate doesn't seem to touch it.

If I have to go down anti-fungal route I will, but first would like to understand what I am dealing with.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » September 5th, 2019, 3:13 pm

Are you sure the blades are on the right direction and tightened on to the right torque spec?

Then check the RPM.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by andy10917 » September 5th, 2019, 3:15 pm

Agree! The shredding of some of the leaf blades says to me that something is more than a little wrong.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » September 5th, 2019, 3:36 pm

The other thing I note is you haven't fertilized since spring. That turf is hungry. Feed it. Fall is when it needs the most N. I'd go with light, regular doses and nurse it back to health. Perfect time to start in MI.

If you are concerned with fungus, it's also good time for fall preventative apps.

So, the issue may be equipment, fertilization, and fungus.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 5th, 2019, 6:04 pm

Believe me, I've checked the installation of the blades numerous times, they are correct. I'll buy a tachometer and check the RPM. And yes, I use a torque wrench to tighten them to proper spec. I believe HRX RPM is supposed to be between 2850 and 3100 but I'll double check the manual.

Started Fall nitrogen regimen last week. Grass is growing like crazy, but not really darkening up and still looks awful right after mowing given the vast amount of dying or brown blades. Grass also grows funny, like only 1/2 or 2/3rds of the grass actually grows vertically, so grass looks very thin before mowing then after mowing, it is super thick down low but is half brown. Happened last year too and by spring everythign is fine again as the fungus or dying blades finally dissapear over winter.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by northeastlawn » September 5th, 2019, 8:07 pm

I am going through something similar, and I did a little research. I typed in "KBG" and "dormant" and did find an old thread from aroundtheyard.

Some of the replies said that depending on the amount of sun and how much it cools down, KBG may spread again in late september.

I am not sure how spoon-feeding fits into speeding this up, but the thread mentioned that most spreading happened in the spring/summer, and that if given enough light and water you can get some spreading late sept until October.

I remember expecting the lawn to recover a lot faster last Septemeber also, and was very disappointed. I chalked it up to a hot and humid September.
Maybe I was expecting too much.

Between less foliage and the natural wake up spurts, I think Spring is when things really happen for me.

Then again that may be because most of my lawn was POA :-(

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 6th, 2019, 8:17 am

I think I'm going to just buy a new mower later today. Things I can't stand about the HRX:

1. Mulching at 3.5" is fine, anything lower and it leaves large clippings all over the place no matter how frequently I cut.
2. The drive system seems to be failing (doesn't work right until engine warms up and even then is super slow)
3. Uneveness - for a $750 mower, it leaves uncut blades all over the place and the wheel tracks don't get cut at all unless you cut under 3.5". Even double cutting doesn't fully solve the wheel track problem.
4. And then for at least the last two years, the mower shreds grass rather than cutting it.

People love the HRX on this site, so not sure what is going on with mine as it is only 4 years old. Looking at a Super Recycler or Timemaster. But Ryan Knorr's review of the Timemaster with new engine said he was having grass blade shredding problems too so probably will end up with the Toro SR (though the bigger deck would be nice with my 12K lawn).

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 7th, 2019, 12:12 pm

Bought a Toro super recycler and a tachometer. New mower is running at 3100 RPM.

So process of elimination here, if it isn't the mower, what is it. I've yet to sharpen the blades on the new mower but they look reasonably sharp from the factory.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 7th, 2019, 12:25 pm

For clarity, since above post is vague, new mower still shredding my grass tips.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by andy10917 » September 7th, 2019, 12:40 pm

How tall are you letting the grass grow before and after the mowing?

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 8th, 2019, 9:11 am

andy10917 wrote:
September 7th, 2019, 12:40 pm
How tall are you letting the grass grow before and after the mowing?
For the mow with the new mower, it had only been 48 hours between mows. I've also tried varying how fast I am walking. This is absolutely infuriating.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 8th, 2019, 11:34 am

Maybe my shredded grass is because grass is in poor health?

Here is another pic of fungal issues. I know identification is difficult through pics, but if anyone has any ideas, let me know. Otherwise I may need to send it in somewhere for ID. Would love to avoid fungicides, is there anything else I can add to my Serenade / Actinovate routine or should I go the chemical route? Really bummed out that after renovating front and back and dealing with so many challenges during that, that two years in a row now my grass looks awful despite putting the effort in :(. Any ideas are welcome, I will do the work if I know what needs to be done.

Image

Oh and Kwarny, you may be right, in addition to whatever is in the pics, I may have ascochyta leaf blight as well as many of the tips are damaged similar to the pictures I saw for it.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by KSUDVM » September 8th, 2019, 3:02 pm

Unfortunately, I can’t offer a solution but instead just empathy. Your posted photos could be replicated easily with just one step into my own yard. I’ve sent two samples to KSU. The first sample from early August 2018 was Ascochyta, which I suspect was secondary due to the turf being compromised from the primary fungal disease. Any other underlying disease was not diagnosed. The second sample from late October 2018 was Puccinia (rust). The sample I sent had no visible lesions that I would associate with classic rust—raised orange powdery lesions—but instead looked like the photo you most recently posted.

I’ve since questioned the diagnosis of rust as it didn’t fit for what most people characterize as rust; however, I did find a collegiate website reference rust while displaying a photo with very similar blade yellowing/browning lesions so I suppose it’s possible. Anyways, this fall I’ve got my primary disease causing the turf to look exactly like yours and also textbook rust as well. I’m toying with the idea of sending a sample to a new university for disease identification but with any other lab being out of state, the cost is over $100 for non residents. Three applications of fungicide this spring/early summer showed minimal difference in turf health so my frustrations lead me to cease the expensive fungicide route. The affected turf never dies, just looks terrible, so I’ve resigned myself to it until I can do a full reno to rid the yard of this disease prone KBG and replace it with my more successful elite TTTF.

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by greenrebellion » September 8th, 2019, 8:42 pm

Thanks for your post KSU, sometimes misery loves company. :|
The affected turf never dies, just looks terrible
Yup, same thing here.

Same exact thing happened to me last summer so this year I tried far less fertilizer and didn't apply any fertilizer since about late May. No difference, looks just as terrible as last year. Added actinovate, in fact have $250 into Serenade/Actinovate apps this year, no impact. Unfortunately, after 3 consecutive years of Reno's (first one failed, then did front one year and back the next), I'm reno'ed out for the time being. Going to keep trying to figure this thing out.

What cultivar of KBG do you have?

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Re: Cut quality & Fungal??? Issues

Post by KBGkicksazz » September 11th, 2019, 7:49 pm

Regarding mowers and clippings.

It’s all about blade speed. This is why commercial mowers use more blades that spin faster to get better cut quality.

I’m in the same boat as my JD tractor is leaving clippings that require I use a backpack blower after every cut not that my lawn has gotten very thick.

Currently I’m shopping for a commercial walk behind.

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