Why new grass different colors?

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
Post Reply
victorw8856
Posts: 1
Joined: November 11th, 2020, 5:38 pm
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Grass Type: Turf type tall fescue
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Why new grass different colors?

Post by victorw8856 » November 11th, 2020, 6:15 pm

Hello,
I seeded a new turf type tall fescue lawn about 2 months ago. 4th gen millennium. I don't understand why it's growing faster and is a darker color where I dug the irrigation ditches. I did a thorough site prep including roundup of old weed yard, rototill, soil pulverizer/cultipacker, then carefully did another pass with the pulverizer after backfilling to level everything out and provide good seed bed. Got an excellent seed catch. Applied Scotts new lawn starter with seed. Soil test shows everything ok. Any ideas why things are different along the ditch lines?


Image

Image

Image

User avatar
MorpheusPA
Posts: 18129
Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
Grass Type: Elite KBG
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Advanced

Re: Why new grass different colors?

Post by MorpheusPA » November 11th, 2020, 10:13 pm

You brought up some resources from deep in the soil. It's the same things dandelions do over time (which is exactly why they can grow in incredibly poor soils, despite being rather calcium-demanding plants) by having very, very long tap roots.

In this case, you played "tap root" by disturbing the soil deep, deep down and bringing it up, carrying resources along with it.

Over the course of a few years, those resources would tap out and the grass will turn back to its regular color. Or get a soil test (Logan Labs) next spring and round out the resources through the lawn, there's clearly a shortage or three there. :-)

This happened to me as well at first when I had some stone cut for a patio. The rock dust disposal area turned brilliant green for a while. Once I corrected the soil shortages, the whole lawn did that and stayed that way.

User avatar
ken-n-nancy
Posts: 2571
Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
Location: Bedford, NH
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Why new grass different colors?

Post by ken-n-nancy » November 13th, 2020, 9:26 am

victorw8856 wrote:
November 11th, 2020, 6:15 pm
I seeded a new turf type tall fescue lawn about 2 months ago. 4th gen millennium. I don't understand why it's growing faster and is a darker color where I dug the irrigation ditches. I did a thorough site prep including roundup of old weed yard, rototill, soil pulverizer/cultipacker, then carefully did another pass with the pulverizer after backfilling to level everything out and provide good seed bed. Got an excellent seed catch. Applied Scotts new lawn starter with seed. Soil test shows everything ok. Any ideas why things are different along the ditch lines?

Image

Image

Image
Was the irrigation installation before or after the thorough site prep of the entire lawn?

That looks like a classic example of there being something needed for growth that is more abundant at the ditch lines than in the rest of the lawn. It looks like it is likely a nutrient deficiency in the remainder of the lawn. Actually, I would speculate that there is a nutrient deficiency everywhere, that is just worse in the remainder of the lawn.

When you say that your "soil test shows everything ok" what was tested? Some simple soil tests basically just look at pH which doesn't provide enough corrective information.

Your grass really just looks nitrogen-deficient to me. I'd suggest applying a conventional turf fertilizer. How long ago was the seed (and starter fertilizer) sown, and has there been any fertilization since then?

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests