My Kojak lawn...please help (with pics) (Leatherjackets???)

[maf20]

Evening all

I had some turf put down on this in October last year. The turf was locally sourced, from a reputable supplier. When it was put down the coverage was great and there wasn't a bald patch in sight. Over the past few months the lawn is just looking worse and worse with many bald patches now appearing. I have laid down some shady grass seed on the left hand side and this has helped, but not that much. Especially now as the bald patches are appearing in well lit areas.

There seems to be more rye grass appearing each week and this week I've even had mushrooms! I mow it at least once a week as the grass that is there grows really well. Both of my neighbours have lawns and neither of them have a bald patch in sight, and neither do they spend anytime on their lawns other than mowing them.

What I am doing wrong/what do I need to do?

Many thanks[/img]

 

[maf20]

Anyone know why my photos aren't showing?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Because you've not uploaded them, edit your post and you'll see they're not there.

 

[Trazor]

Here they are....

lawn3

• Trazor
• 7 Jul 2009
• 1

lawn2

• Trazor
• 7 Jul 2009
• 1

lawn1

• Trazor
• 7 Jul 2009
• 1

lawn4

• Trazor
• 7 Jul 2009
• 1

 

[maf20]

Thanks

Hopefully you can see the bald patches...

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Looks a bit like leatherjacket damage, have a dig around see if you can find any. Google leatherjacket damage. Hopefully not though!

 

[maf20]

I can't believe this!!!

I forgot to mention that I was wondering why I had God knows how many birds on my lawn all the time. I have been constantly wondering why I have so many birds on the lawn picking at stuff yet next door has nothing!!

Any further advice anyone?

I reckon it could be this leatherjacket thing???

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Have a dig round, you should find some of the little bleeders if thats what it is, my lawn suffered with these, the penny finally dropped for me when the cat went beserk all the way thru September when she kept catching the daddies! The only thing that gets rid of them is Nemasys Nematodes http://www.nemasysinfo.com/leatherjackets.shtml.

 

[maf20]

OK Cheers. I've also started growing a bit of veg and notice when I pulled the carrots up this week that there were a lot of them that had been 'eaten' with some slug looking things still attached.

Combine this with the fact that the turf was put down in October, a prime time for them I believe, I guess it really could be this.

If it isn't, why else would I be getting bald patches like this that seem to be sweeping across the lawn?

Finally, I've read that you can only put nematodes down in August or September? By the way, what are nematodes?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Ok, but you should defo be able to find some if they're there! You're right you can only use the nematodes during that period because the leatherjackets' skins' are too tough for the nems to penetrate. Once the daddies have laid they're eggs its time to apply, or something like that if memory serves correct. I don't profess to know exactly what they are suffice to say they're a kind of a green chemical warfare! To reiterate you should be able to find some, they're pretty unmistakable and this would be the best way to confirm it is this and not something more obvious like you're just a crap*y gardener! Only joking, I'm so rubbish I gave up and put stones down. Coincidentally, I bought my turf from a seemingly very good source and it turned out it was full of the little blighters just waiting to hatch!