How to fix patches in Bufallo grass?

[ArunM]

We laid turf recently about a month back. After mowing the lawn I can see some patches in the lawn. Any idea why this is happening ? 

I fertilised the lawn about a week back. Does not seemed to have helped much. 

I see a lot of birds on my lawn which makes me suspect that there are grubs. However can't spot anything when I look at these patches. I am thinking of applying a grub killer regardless. 

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thank you . 

[EricL]

Hello @ArunM,

Thank you for sharing your question about your newly laid turf. How often do you water your lawn? As it has only been a month into the settling phase of the lawn it's important that it be watered at least three times a day for 4 to 6 weeks until it is fully established.

Sporadic watering is not good for the lawn as parts of it will not be getting enough. Fertilising that lawn is a good idea, but constant application of water is critical as the soil must not dry out.   

In regards to the birds feeding, it is only natural as you have new turf. The lawn becomes a host to insects which in turn attracts the birds to feed on these insects they have not yet burrowed into the soil yet. Unless you have hard proof that there is a grub infestation, I recommend holding off on spraying your turf to allow it to establish first.

I also suggest having a look at these guides:

•  How to detect lawn problems by @Adam_W

• Lawn renovation by @homeinmelbourne 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[ArunM]

Thanks @EricL .

We have watered the lawn pretty regularly. I will make sure to water them in frquently for some more time although I am not sure how it will help to rejuvenate the patches that I have. 

Thanks. 

[EricL]

Hello @ArunM 

At this point in time, just keep an eye on your turf's health. If other symptoms show up or the brown spots increase, make sure to let us know and we will offer further recommendations. 

Eric

[HitOrMiss]

i see the photos are 2 weeks old, how is it looking now ? better ? worse ?
did you use mulch the grass or catch it ?

it kinda looks like it was mulched, 
the first picture looks like the mower may have been left still for a bit. likely sinking slightly and cutting a ring lower than what you were cutting at, mulching it up really fine and dropping it underneath the mower.
the second looks like the mower may have bottomed out going up the hill.
these are just guesses. 

it may be worth bumping the height of the mower up 1or 2 height settings.
you can rake or pull out the dry/dead grass, and lay down some top soil in the bare patches, throw down some slow release fertilizer and the grass should fill it in over time.
another reason i think the height should go up, is because along the edges and drain pipe are really green, a nice green actually, and i think that is because they have not been cut as low.
ideally if you want to keep a nice healthy green lawn, try not to cut much more than a 1/3 of the leaf. if you pull a blade of grass out of the ground and fold it three times evenly, 1 fold is how much you want to take off.