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New lawn emerging brown and bald spots

tjtodd2000tjtodd2000 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Hi. We recently changed our concrete back yard into a grass lawn. Removed the concrete, brought in big amounts of topsoil, and laid bluegrass sod. Big job but fairly chuffed with where it ended up, now we're doing the hard work of getting the grass established and bedded in. Its been in a month or so now and we have a few brown and bold spots appearing. We're watering in the mornings every day (its been pretty warm in New York), avoiding going on there as much as possible (with a few slip ups - we have young hard to control girls!). Question is what do you think is causing these brown/bald spots? And how best to address and avoid them? Is it a thatch issue, overwatering, cutting too short (we have tried to keep grass long and avoid big cuts with a reel mower) or just plain going on there too much before its really had a chance to establish itself? We're overseeding, watering and avoiding going on there as much as possible. Any other tips on the best way to handle would be much appreciated!
 

Posts

  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    I wouldn't worry about it too much at this stage personally, give it time to settle in.
    Well done for conquering the concrete! 
  • tjtodd2000tjtodd2000 Posts: 4
    Thanks Slow-worm! My wife is buying all manner of thatch remover and root growth promoters, but sounds like its more just time, watering and general care (and avoiding using it too much) should get us there eventually. 
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Yeah you can overdo things.. my lawn took a while to establish from seed - I'd only ever used turf before, but I put mixed seed down and it's doing best under the big cherry tree in the shade now! I'd leave it a few months, and just use a topsoil and seed mix to fill in any patches if you need to. 
    Of course, there's probably many more garden lawn experts than me here - I'm mostly horse field management, lol! But we did have excellent grazing (with a lot of initial effort) after 10+ years of neglect and hefty trampling.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    On a very new lawn you don't want to be treating it with anything, just make sure it gets enough water, stay off it as much as possible and when it starts growing and it's time to mow, make sure the blades are sharp and don't cut very short. It needs top growth to feed root growth. It shouldn't have enough thatch to worry about at this stage.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • tjtodd2000tjtodd2000 Posts: 4
    Great, thanks JennyJ! That all makes sense. One last thing, does this pic below look like there could be some issues with the roots? The sod we had to get in the end came from B&Q type place, probably not the freshest so wondering if there might be any issues with the roots that might be causing some of the balding/brown splotches. Or frankly this could have been started by somebody's heel!


  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    That bit just looks like it's been squished. I think it'll probably fill in if you leave it.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • tjtodd2000tjtodd2000 Posts: 4
    Thank you! A lot of this is new new to us, so very helpful advice.
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