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New laid turf - but grass now dead

tstevens99tstevens99 Posts: 3
in Problem solving
I laid new turf on 3/10/2019.
The size was 13sq m. [small].
Now the grass looks very bad and has died.
I thought it maybe some kind of grass pest? But it very much looks like the end of my attempt at turfing the rear lawn.
Not sure what todo...


Terry Stevens
Dorset UK

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    When was it laid?  What soil prep did you do?  Did you select a grass variety suited to shade?  
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • tstevens99tstevens99 Posts: 3
    I laid new turf on 3/10/2019. I have just done some more investigation. I made some surface digs and found lots of the following bugs ....
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Leatherjackets, they feast on grass roots.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Hello tstevens. I think that could be the cause of your problems. It looks like a leather jacket which is the larva of a crane fly (daddy long legs). These feed on grass roots causing damage. There is useful information here to help you deal with the problem.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • tstevens99tstevens99 Posts: 3
    Thanks. I think it is too late to deal with the damage. But I may try and lay new turf...but at least I can better prepare the soil.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    First treat the leather jackets if you can.   Then prepare teh soil well and consider sowing seed for a shady area as this will be much cheaper and not much slower than laying turves.

    leather jackets will certainly have a bad effect on a new lawn trying to establish a decent root system.  Have a look on this page from the RHS - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=651 

    Have a read too of this info on lawn care and scroll down to "sowing seed" so you can recover your lawn once the leather jackets have been dealt with.
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=413
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • stuarta99stuarta99 Posts: 235
    I feel you're pain, I'm on my third year and despite being treated every year, I'm reseeding every year
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    That looks like  a drainage problem to me!
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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