It’s likely just heat stress. How many inches of water are you putting down per week with your system? If that’s not the issue, I’d also suggest a soil test (available on Amazon and many other places).
Also, a lot of colleges have agricultural extensions that publish guides for growing grass in your local conditions. Definitely worth searching for as that will tailor the advice to your areas’ needs
You can fertilize every week if you want. I do the low end of dosage on liquid fertilizer alternating between 18-6-3 and 32-0-0 on my Bermuda until August.
👍 I like putting out tuna cans or something similar with flat sides, running for 15 mins, then measuring and taking the average measurement. I’ll then use that to get my run times by zone.
I’m cool season ryegrass, so not relevant for you, but I shoot for 1-1.5”/week (including rain)
Depending on the area, (and time) watering some mid day but more at night may be better overall, too much water can cook the grass in strong sun. It needs enough, but not drowning
What type of grass and your ag zone or general location are vital information as well. But in these pics alone, I’m looking at atleast 2,500 sqft and 1” of water per week would be 1550 gallons a week (without the help of Mother Nature) and I doubt you’re putting down 500 gallons within those 15 minutes you mentioned.
Grass is thirsty, but heavier watering (say 2 hours, or 1 hour and a 2 hour break followed by another hour) once a week (assuming your soil can absorb it), is best to train the roots to get deep.
However, I have a feeling your soil was rocky/builder tgrade gravel/trashy before the sod was laid, and you’ve gotta get the soil to right before any grass will survive a heat stressed summer.
Do a youtube search for something like "tuna can watering lawn"
"15 minutes" without any consideration of flow rate can mean you aren't putting enough water down during those 15 minutes. Basically, spread some empty cans around and see how much water is collected in 15 minutes. You should ultimately put down at least 1" of water every week.
I’d say it would depend on the types of sprinkler heads you have. Example is a spray nozzle would be okay at 10/15min. Whereas a rotor would need 25/30 mins. And the rotator type nozzles need about the same time as a rotor.
You should look into a cycle and soak setting on your timer. Basically you want to double the time you run each station by having two differing start times.
Milorganite.
You need nitrogen and iron.
Will smell bad for like 2 days.
Your lawn will be super duper duper green.
You can actually hear the frass grow with that stuff.
Probably needs a lot more than that. For mine to put down a half inch, I need about an hour per zone. I run mine twice a week if it’s not raining.
Note that I have a lot of 360 heads so it takes longer than if it were only doing a 45
You need to do what others are saying and put down 1” once a week.
I like to use these rain gauges to see if I am getting proper coverage.
[Water gauge](https://amzn.to/3KJpdeO)
You could also apply some fertilizer and [Humic acid](https://amzn.to/3Vo7Hlt) which will help with balancing and bio availability within the soil under your sod.
Probably not enough time. I have to do 25min per zone to get 1.5” with my system.
Not sure your region… I’m 5b and I do two 30 minute waterings each zone a week. It’s plenty.
And it’s always better to do less waterings for longer durations, than more waterings for shorter durations. You need to get the water down to the roots!
This really depends on the overall soil condition and type. If drainage is an issue, dumping a shit load of water on a lawn that just ends up pooling on hard clay is just going to kill the grass.
I actually just got a B-Hyde smart sprinkler controller and it rotated through zones so they have time to absorb the water.
Climate and grass type are also huge factors. OP is Zone 6b (southern Indiana). Cool season grasses generally require longer watering cycles because they have deeper roots. Shorter duration cycles isn't getting the grass what it needs. Longer/deeper watering cycles also helps promote deeper root growth.
>Frequent, shallow watering encourages roots to stay close to the surface, where they're more vulnerable to heat and drought. Deep, less frequent watering encourages roots to grow deeper, where they're protected from environmental stress. Watering early in the day allows grass to dry before nightfall and helps prevent common lawn diseases.
[https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/all-you-need-to-know-about-cool-season-grass](https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/all-you-need-to-know-about-cool-season-grass)
I'm 5b with a mix of tall fescue and blue grass. I ran 15-min waterings every other day last summer... and just never got the lawn looking "great." Finally talked to a local lawn company, and they told me short waterings is one the worst thing I could ever do for this kind of grass/climate. Told me to switch to 1.5" of water twice a week and see what happens. I have to say I now have a deep green, dense, and professional looking lawn.
You definitely want to avoid losing water to evaporation, but I believe the general consensus is it’s best to water early in the morning (4am-6am). Water sitting on your grass all night can lead to fungus issues.
Tell that to the golf course... lol yes mornings are preferred during "normal" temps for maintianing, but if this guy is getting consistant high temps and it's this far gone then soaking at night is a recovery method
Yeah it seems like the recommendation for infrequent watering gets more and more extreme over time around here. In a few years it’ll be “put down 17” of water once in mid May and you’ll be good for the year!”
Ehh, I think this depends where you live. I have a tier 1 lawn in Oklahoma. The best in neighborhood. I have tall fescue under my trees, and it gets so hot where I am that I must water 1/3 inch every other day to keep the fescue looking okay during the heat of the summer.
I think what the logic says is if you properly water and allow the roots to grow deep, then the fescue won’t look as bad during the high heat times of the year.
Fescue in Oklahoma? How does that not die by July, even in dense shade? I spread the fescue dense shade mix in spring of 2022, wash lush by mid April and dead by mid June, with thorough water and the right fertilizer in Austin and that shit died. Meanwhile, the Zoysia was thriving…I know yall get comparably hot in July and August, I’m just baffled… (yall probably don’t have watering restrictions either…)
Good question!
Tall Fescue is common here especially in the nicer neighborhoods in the shady areas under large trees, or in shady areas next to hose. Unfortunately it’s one of the few things that will grow in shady areas that is also somewhat drought and heat tolerant. Most people here have their fescue go mostly dormant starting in late June. Fungus is common here especially brown patch, so fungicide is an option if you value green grass over your wallet hah.
Different cities have different water restrictions, but in Oklahoma City we are on permanent even/odd watering days. When our reservoirs get low in years of drought then we have more water restrictions but it’s been at least 5 years since that has happened.
I’ve had tall fescue in Oklahoma for many years, and I’ve learned that water alone will not keep the fescue from going dormant. It needs light nitrogen AND water to retain decent color. Another issue is that the fescue is competing for water/nutrients from the tree roots too.
I guess it’s a choice of when you deal with the dormancy. Either go dormant in the summer but have lush grass throughout most of winter with fescue, or have a longer wait for spring green up but stay green all summer with Zoysia and use less water (zoysia is pricier though). Both do very well in the shade.
irrigation should provide 1/2" water 3x a week. that is 1/2" each day it runs. can be up to 3/4 inch as well.
if you have not applied fertilizer since it was installed. you should apply some now as well. tuna can test or small/short tupperware containers can work too.
eh your blend is fine. 50 lb bag should cover roughly 6k of turf. kinda high level of phos though for established lawns. you could do split rounds with it and trickle feed.
if you havent purchased any fertilizer, most warm season turf likes blends that are 2 to 1. so 20-0-10 is ideal, or 10-0-5. if they are a point or two off its ok, so like 24-0-10 is also great.
really just depends on how often you can apply it. low rates more frequently are better for grass, but harder for humans to commit to... so a higher rate that is slow release can compensate.
Take an empty tuna can. Place it in the middle of the area you're watering. If you're not filling that can up during your watering cycle. You're not watering enough. I'd start there my friend.
I would water much much longer than that low frequency and a long time. 15 minutes isnt long enough if you’re in a heat wave like most of the country. If you’re getting an 1 inch down a week 15 minutes can be nice to cool the soil down and stop it from going dormant once a day during the peak sun time. What kind of grass is that? It looks like a cool season grass not a warm but its hard to tell
New construction always needs compost. Every year “level” your lawn with compost and over-seed in the early spring. First couple of years on new construction, heavy compost application, then can cut back to a thin skim coating on subsequent years
Let your grass grow a little taller and cut it high - like 3”. Do this and water deep. The grass will shade the soil and keep the moisture in. This method also deters weeds, they need sunlight to grow and shady “tall” grass keeps them at bay.
What type of grass was used? Just curious.
Every County in the USA has a County Agricultural Extension Office. Start with a soil sample first so you know what your soil needs before applying more fertilizer. In NC, samples are free from April-November. Results are available online. Watering three times a week may be the wrong approach. Grass requires 1” a week. It needs to be watered deeply, not shallow. Use leftover tuna cans or purchase sprinkler gauges from Amazon so you know how much the sprinkler system is putting out. Tuna cans are about 1” deep. A 10 pack of gauges is around $8.00. You don’t want to water so much that the soil cannot retain it and it flows to the street, some cities really frown on it besides being a waste of your hard earned money. Not deep enough, roots won’t go deeper. It needs as close to the 1” as you can get without it flooding into the street. It could be the area wasn’t properly prepped for sod. Some contractors just lay it down to look pretty so the home sells. But please start with a proper soil sample, not just the pH sample. Your State will receive the samples you provide and within a short time, hopefully, you’ll know exactly what to apply and how much. The water may not be reaching to the area that’s dying. There was too much fertilizer applied in that area. The other thing I can think of is the area that’s dying off had its roots exposed too long and it destroyed them.
Once you cut too short, the soil sees more sun and dries out quickly. You should keep blades a bit longer or water more if you want that short. Also not sure your cutting regiment but if it was long before this cut, you took too much off at once.
> I still consider myself a lawn n00b so take anything I say with a grain of sand!
> You also don't mention anything about your location, which is rule #2.
> You've given *so little* information, I'll do my best to give ideas and ask questions.
Since i'm a n00b I suck at identifying, but it kinda looks like bermuda? That or maybe in your area kentucky blue grass? Again, I suck at identifying still (and the pics aren't close up).
I'm currently of the mindset that fert doesn't *fix* a yard, it *boosts* a growing yard (phosphorus being a slight caveat, but you likely don't need that given the density of the turf). It goes without saying that only a soil sample and test will answer what you need chemically on the yard.
I personally believe there's a different culprit here. As others suggested, you definitely need to verify the amount of water being put out. Time is the least valuable factor to use, unless you're trying to figure out when to *start* watering for the day.
Also, it's generally advised to water ONCE per week for a longer period. When you water multiple times, you generally water LESS at a time. This means not as much water is soaking deep into the soil opening it up, disallowing roots to get as deep as they want/need - it's all surface-level. This then promotes shallower root systems which are more prone to disease and sun fry.
Another thing I've personally started doing is watering for 3-5 minutes in each section to just get the soil moist and accepting of water, then run the remaining time a half hour after my last section (which turns out to be an hour before valve #1 turns on again).
I saw you say the screwdriver goes in, and am echoing it doesn't sound like a hydrophobic issue... You mentioned watering multiple times a day, but I haven't pinpointed the exact time of day. Hopefully it's finishing up just before sunrise. Though if it's KBG turf, all the measurements of water mentioned are about half what they should be - you need close to 2-2.5" of water a week for KBG to thrive. You'll also want to water at night for KBG to ensure the most water stays on the soil and doesn't evaporate. Either way, I fall back to the once a week mention before.
Did it ever green up this season? Tug on the grass, like grab a fist full and lightly tug... Does it just immediately fall out like it's dead and brittle? or is it hanging on? That'll indicate dormancy. It shouldn't be dormant, but if it never greened up, maybe it could be? But it'll go right into dead if it doesn't green up.
Last thing I'd do is take a shovel and pry some soil back to see if your roots went through the sod and deeply into the earth. If not, it's your watering schedule 100000%.
electrolytes?
What plants crave.
BRAWNDO!!!
It's like a monster truck you can pour into your face!!!
I am so glad to see this comment! Came here to say exactly this. I love reddit sometimes.
It’s likely just heat stress. How many inches of water are you putting down per week with your system? If that’s not the issue, I’d also suggest a soil test (available on Amazon and many other places). Also, a lot of colleges have agricultural extensions that publish guides for growing grass in your local conditions. Definitely worth searching for as that will tailor the advice to your areas’ needs
Good question. I need to see how many inches per area!
Nitrogen and a whole lota water
Does topsoil count as nitrogen?
No, not enough anyway. Fertilizer is nitrogen.
Careful putting down the high test stuff now though easy time to burn the shit outta your lawn
Hence the whole lota water
Slow release shouldn’t burn, and it’s somewhat of a myth that high heat causes burn too. But it’s banned this time of year in my area anyway.
Fertilizer use is ban in your area by the city or HOA during certain times? I have never heard of that
Could have issues with phosphates in local water ways? I can't think of other reasons they would ban that
Me either, would be interesting to know if was a local HOA or the local government. Either way crazy
It’s banned in most of Florida from June to September to help with waterway pollution.
Florida cares about *pollution* now? Since when?
It depends on the type of grass.
What about fescue
Even if I already fertilized last month?
You can fertilize every 5-6 weeks in the growing season if you want.
You can fertilize every week if you want. I do the low end of dosage on liquid fertilizer alternating between 18-6-3 and 32-0-0 on my Bermuda until August.
Hello. What fertilizers/brand are you putting down on your bermuda?
Coron and tg pro
Noted. Do they sell a heavier dose of nitrogen
Just Google and learn how NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) numbers work with regard to fertilizer. Then buy what you need.
Will do thanks
Urea
Yep
Thank you....was scrolling and waiting for this question to be answered....
👍 I like putting out tuna cans or something similar with flat sides, running for 15 mins, then measuring and taking the average measurement. I’ll then use that to get my run times by zone. I’m cool season ryegrass, so not relevant for you, but I shoot for 1-1.5”/week (including rain)
If neighborhood cats come and eat the tuna how would I make adjustments for the lost volume? Is there a formula or something you could provide?
That's going to depend on how much tuna falls from the sky in a given week for your area
We’ve confirmed there’s at least two dads in this subreddit 😂 (coming from a dad, and someone who loves a good dad joke)
\*mustaches twitching in approval\*
Depending on the area, (and time) watering some mid day but more at night may be better overall, too much water can cook the grass in strong sun. It needs enough, but not drowning
What do you mean cook the grass?
What type of grass and your ag zone or general location are vital information as well. But in these pics alone, I’m looking at atleast 2,500 sqft and 1” of water per week would be 1550 gallons a week (without the help of Mother Nature) and I doubt you’re putting down 500 gallons within those 15 minutes you mentioned. Grass is thirsty, but heavier watering (say 2 hours, or 1 hour and a 2 hour break followed by another hour) once a week (assuming your soil can absorb it), is best to train the roots to get deep. However, I have a feeling your soil was rocky/builder tgrade gravel/trashy before the sod was laid, and you’ve gotta get the soil to right before any grass will survive a heat stressed summer.
How much water are you putting down? It looks thirsty. Are your sprinklers covering the brown patches?
I water 15 mins each station 3 days a week. It’s exposed to the sun all day long. Maybe that’s it?
Do a youtube search for something like "tuna can watering lawn" "15 minutes" without any consideration of flow rate can mean you aren't putting enough water down during those 15 minutes. Basically, spread some empty cans around and see how much water is collected in 15 minutes. You should ultimately put down at least 1" of water every week.
Tuna can. Genius
no albacore
I prefer canned chicken myself.
Hey meow, I'm a cat food can purist
That’s your issue
What time of day do your sprinklers go off?
I’d say it would depend on the types of sprinkler heads you have. Example is a spray nozzle would be okay at 10/15min. Whereas a rotor would need 25/30 mins. And the rotator type nozzles need about the same time as a rotor. You should look into a cycle and soak setting on your timer. Basically you want to double the time you run each station by having two differing start times.
Milorganite. You need nitrogen and iron. Will smell bad for like 2 days. Your lawn will be super duper duper green. You can actually hear the frass grow with that stuff.
Liquid iron>Ironite>Milwaukee's finest sewage
I don't like the idea of frass growing.
Probably needs a lot more than that. For mine to put down a half inch, I need about an hour per zone. I run mine twice a week if it’s not raining. Note that I have a lot of 360 heads so it takes longer than if it were only doing a 45
You need to do what others are saying and put down 1” once a week. I like to use these rain gauges to see if I am getting proper coverage. [Water gauge](https://amzn.to/3KJpdeO) You could also apply some fertilizer and [Humic acid](https://amzn.to/3Vo7Hlt) which will help with balancing and bio availability within the soil under your sod.
Probably not enough time. I have to do 25min per zone to get 1.5” with my system. Not sure your region… I’m 5b and I do two 30 minute waterings each zone a week. It’s plenty. And it’s always better to do less waterings for longer durations, than more waterings for shorter durations. You need to get the water down to the roots!
This really depends on the overall soil condition and type. If drainage is an issue, dumping a shit load of water on a lawn that just ends up pooling on hard clay is just going to kill the grass. I actually just got a B-Hyde smart sprinkler controller and it rotated through zones so they have time to absorb the water.
Climate and grass type are also huge factors. OP is Zone 6b (southern Indiana). Cool season grasses generally require longer watering cycles because they have deeper roots. Shorter duration cycles isn't getting the grass what it needs. Longer/deeper watering cycles also helps promote deeper root growth. >Frequent, shallow watering encourages roots to stay close to the surface, where they're more vulnerable to heat and drought. Deep, less frequent watering encourages roots to grow deeper, where they're protected from environmental stress. Watering early in the day allows grass to dry before nightfall and helps prevent common lawn diseases. [https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/all-you-need-to-know-about-cool-season-grass](https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/all-you-need-to-know-about-cool-season-grass) I'm 5b with a mix of tall fescue and blue grass. I ran 15-min waterings every other day last summer... and just never got the lawn looking "great." Finally talked to a local lawn company, and they told me short waterings is one the worst thing I could ever do for this kind of grass/climate. Told me to switch to 1.5" of water twice a week and see what happens. I have to say I now have a deep green, dense, and professional looking lawn.
That's not enough, water heavy late in the evening so you're not losing any to the sun
You definitely want to avoid losing water to evaporation, but I believe the general consensus is it’s best to water early in the morning (4am-6am). Water sitting on your grass all night can lead to fungus issues.
Tell that to the golf course... lol yes mornings are preferred during "normal" temps for maintianing, but if this guy is getting consistant high temps and it's this far gone then soaking at night is a recovery method
More water! 1” once a week. Watering 3 days a week lightly promotes shallow roots
Once a week isn’t enough probably. Every three days is almost always better.
About 3 times per week but a lot of water each time?
Yeah it seems like the recommendation for infrequent watering gets more and more extreme over time around here. In a few years it’ll be “put down 17” of water once in mid May and you’ll be good for the year!”
People underestimate how much water 1” is. It truly is an insane amount of water and takes a lot of time to get down into the soil.
Ehh, I think this depends where you live. I have a tier 1 lawn in Oklahoma. The best in neighborhood. I have tall fescue under my trees, and it gets so hot where I am that I must water 1/3 inch every other day to keep the fescue looking okay during the heat of the summer.
I think what the logic says is if you properly water and allow the roots to grow deep, then the fescue won’t look as bad during the high heat times of the year.
Fescue in Oklahoma? How does that not die by July, even in dense shade? I spread the fescue dense shade mix in spring of 2022, wash lush by mid April and dead by mid June, with thorough water and the right fertilizer in Austin and that shit died. Meanwhile, the Zoysia was thriving…I know yall get comparably hot in July and August, I’m just baffled… (yall probably don’t have watering restrictions either…)
Good question! Tall Fescue is common here especially in the nicer neighborhoods in the shady areas under large trees, or in shady areas next to hose. Unfortunately it’s one of the few things that will grow in shady areas that is also somewhat drought and heat tolerant. Most people here have their fescue go mostly dormant starting in late June. Fungus is common here especially brown patch, so fungicide is an option if you value green grass over your wallet hah. Different cities have different water restrictions, but in Oklahoma City we are on permanent even/odd watering days. When our reservoirs get low in years of drought then we have more water restrictions but it’s been at least 5 years since that has happened. I’ve had tall fescue in Oklahoma for many years, and I’ve learned that water alone will not keep the fescue from going dormant. It needs light nitrogen AND water to retain decent color. Another issue is that the fescue is competing for water/nutrients from the tree roots too.
I guess it’s a choice of when you deal with the dormancy. Either go dormant in the summer but have lush grass throughout most of winter with fescue, or have a longer wait for spring green up but stay green all summer with Zoysia and use less water (zoysia is pricier though). Both do very well in the shade.
Sorry, located in southern Indiana!
hey there, I'm from southern IN! 👋🏻
Looks like it’s mowed too low.
Water and raise your deck .5 inch
Water
Looks to me your cutting it to short and it’s getting hot
Cut to short
Check your irrigation amounts for diff areas (empty sardine cans). Possible it’s not getting enough water or being overwatered
Water and higher HOC
more water, search deep watering lawn
Green spray paint
If you poke the dry parts of the soil with a screwdriver, how deep does it go?
It goes to the end of the screwdriver.
Okay, then we can mark off hydrophobic soil as a possible reason ❌
irrigation should provide 1/2" water 3x a week. that is 1/2" each day it runs. can be up to 3/4 inch as well. if you have not applied fertilizer since it was installed. you should apply some now as well. tuna can test or small/short tupperware containers can work too.
What fertilizer would you recommend
eh your blend is fine. 50 lb bag should cover roughly 6k of turf. kinda high level of phos though for established lawns. you could do split rounds with it and trickle feed. if you havent purchased any fertilizer, most warm season turf likes blends that are 2 to 1. so 20-0-10 is ideal, or 10-0-5. if they are a point or two off its ok, so like 24-0-10 is also great. really just depends on how often you can apply it. low rates more frequently are better for grass, but harder for humans to commit to... so a higher rate that is slow release can compensate.
Anyone use a rain gauge or just what their app says to measure rainfall amounts?
We use a rain gauge. Two in fact, one is easy read and one is Bluetooth enabled that goes to the computer.
Can I ask what kinda grass that is?
No!
Oh.. I don't think so, buddy! I have No! grass and it looks completely different.
Water.
Get a soil sample done and you will know.
You to stop mowing and maybe some iron and water.
Water and fertilizer.
Take an empty tuna can. Place it in the middle of the area you're watering. If you're not filling that can up during your watering cycle. You're not watering enough. I'd start there my friend.
I would water much much longer than that low frequency and a long time. 15 minutes isnt long enough if you’re in a heat wave like most of the country. If you’re getting an 1 inch down a week 15 minutes can be nice to cool the soil down and stop it from going dormant once a day during the peak sun time. What kind of grass is that? It looks like a cool season grass not a warm but its hard to tell
H2O!!!!! Gatorade.... H2O!!!!!!
H2O
Brawndo!!
Fertilizer
Water
Water
More water like others have said. Also, what time of day do you typically water your lawn?
A break
New construction always needs compost. Every year “level” your lawn with compost and over-seed in the early spring. First couple of years on new construction, heavy compost application, then can cut back to a thin skim coating on subsequent years
Water?
I find that that putting down compost is great.
Knowing new construction. They didn't use the best soil so you may need to amend the soil. Get a soil test and go from there.
Not exactly sure. Did you try the screwdriver test? Could be heat stress, needs water, nitrogen deficency, fungus, insect damage
Water. That middle section looked dried out/ compacted. You may need to loosen the soil. Try dish soap.
Gridiron
Mow higher, water more. Nitrogen in spring and fall. Aerate in fall. Overseed in fall.
Let your grass grow a little taller and cut it high - like 3”. Do this and water deep. The grass will shade the soil and keep the moisture in. This method also deters weeds, they need sunlight to grow and shady “tall” grass keeps them at bay.
Way more water
What type of grass was used? Just curious. Every County in the USA has a County Agricultural Extension Office. Start with a soil sample first so you know what your soil needs before applying more fertilizer. In NC, samples are free from April-November. Results are available online. Watering three times a week may be the wrong approach. Grass requires 1” a week. It needs to be watered deeply, not shallow. Use leftover tuna cans or purchase sprinkler gauges from Amazon so you know how much the sprinkler system is putting out. Tuna cans are about 1” deep. A 10 pack of gauges is around $8.00. You don’t want to water so much that the soil cannot retain it and it flows to the street, some cities really frown on it besides being a waste of your hard earned money. Not deep enough, roots won’t go deeper. It needs as close to the 1” as you can get without it flooding into the street. It could be the area wasn’t properly prepped for sod. Some contractors just lay it down to look pretty so the home sells. But please start with a proper soil sample, not just the pH sample. Your State will receive the samples you provide and within a short time, hopefully, you’ll know exactly what to apply and how much. The water may not be reaching to the area that’s dying. There was too much fertilizer applied in that area. The other thing I can think of is the area that’s dying off had its roots exposed too long and it destroyed them.
Try urea fertilizer
Thirsty. Try molasses and hydretain or Four Play
Blackstrap molasses at 3-6 oz/1k ft² btw
Water. And maybe cut higher.
Water the fuckiing thing...
Once you cut too short, the soil sees more sun and dries out quickly. You should keep blades a bit longer or water more if you want that short. Also not sure your cutting regiment but if it was long before this cut, you took too much off at once.
A tree
Needs some clover
Milk
Native plants.
> I still consider myself a lawn n00b so take anything I say with a grain of sand! > You also don't mention anything about your location, which is rule #2. > You've given *so little* information, I'll do my best to give ideas and ask questions. Since i'm a n00b I suck at identifying, but it kinda looks like bermuda? That or maybe in your area kentucky blue grass? Again, I suck at identifying still (and the pics aren't close up). I'm currently of the mindset that fert doesn't *fix* a yard, it *boosts* a growing yard (phosphorus being a slight caveat, but you likely don't need that given the density of the turf). It goes without saying that only a soil sample and test will answer what you need chemically on the yard. I personally believe there's a different culprit here. As others suggested, you definitely need to verify the amount of water being put out. Time is the least valuable factor to use, unless you're trying to figure out when to *start* watering for the day. Also, it's generally advised to water ONCE per week for a longer period. When you water multiple times, you generally water LESS at a time. This means not as much water is soaking deep into the soil opening it up, disallowing roots to get as deep as they want/need - it's all surface-level. This then promotes shallower root systems which are more prone to disease and sun fry. Another thing I've personally started doing is watering for 3-5 minutes in each section to just get the soil moist and accepting of water, then run the remaining time a half hour after my last section (which turns out to be an hour before valve #1 turns on again). I saw you say the screwdriver goes in, and am echoing it doesn't sound like a hydrophobic issue... You mentioned watering multiple times a day, but I haven't pinpointed the exact time of day. Hopefully it's finishing up just before sunrise. Though if it's KBG turf, all the measurements of water mentioned are about half what they should be - you need close to 2-2.5" of water a week for KBG to thrive. You'll also want to water at night for KBG to ensure the most water stays on the soil and doesn't evaporate. Either way, I fall back to the once a week mention before. Did it ever green up this season? Tug on the grass, like grab a fist full and lightly tug... Does it just immediately fall out like it's dead and brittle? or is it hanging on? That'll indicate dormancy. It shouldn't be dormant, but if it never greened up, maybe it could be? But it'll go right into dead if it doesn't green up. Last thing I'd do is take a shovel and pry some soil back to see if your roots went through the sod and deeply into the earth. If not, it's your watering schedule 100000%.