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that is fungal damage
Josie, this looks like a fungal disease called Red Thread.
It's been a particularly bad year for it due to climatic conditions, we have it in many clients lawns, you can live with it in established turf as it eventually is grown out.
One customer did ask for their turf to be treated a few years ago the costs from what I remember were extortionate ! With repeated treatment required it's more cost effective to return or reseed.
Hi,
this is from the RHS website - hope it helps:
Non-chemical control
If red thread appears, application of nitrogen to the affected area will often be sufficient to control it. Nitrogen is best given as sulphate of ammonia at 15g per sq m (½oz per sq yd). Do not apply after August to avoid the production of soft growth which is prone to snow mould.
The threat from red thread can be reduced by taking action to improve the drainage and aeration of the turf. Scarifying the turf with a lawn rake or electric scarifier will remove thatch and moss and increase aeration. Poor drainage and compacted areas can be alleviated by forking or by the use of a solid-tine or hollow-tine aerator. Ensure that the soil is not deficient in nitrogen. Disposing of (not composting) grass cuttings will reduce the amount of fungus present to re-infect the lawn.
Chemical control
The only fungicide available to home gardeners for control of red thread is trifloxystrobin (Provanto Lawn Disease Control). The fungicide can be used all year round except during drought conditions or when the lawn is frozen. There is a risk of resistance occurring in the fungal population therefore the product should not be applied more than twice a year and is best used in conjunction with other control methods.
Sometimes a good feed can make it go, I find most new turf seems to have it in or maybe we are in a bad area for it, I never see it near my parents but loads around here, the fungicide works best but costs.
Hi Josie
It looks very much as though some of the grass species in your turf have not established properly, leaving you with just (what looks like) ryegrass. I can still see the joins between the turves and so I suspect there may have been an issue with the watering....maybe there wasn't enough irrigation during that really hot dry period? Or maybe the lawn was waterlogged?
I don't think I can see any redthread disease - but then again my eyesight isn't brilliant.
My advice would be to give it a feed, and, if we do get the summery weather that's forecasted, water the lawn really well twice a week. The water needs to filter deep into the soil to encourage roots to go downwards and so that the soil stays nice and moist. Robbie Lynn's tuna tin trick works a treat. Start up the sprinkler and put an empty tuna tin on the lawn - once the tin fills with water, that bit of the lawn has had sufficient water.
When autumn arrives, give it gentle rake to remove all that dead foliage (don't scarify a new lawn too hard!), give it another feed (use an autumn winter formulation fertiliser) and then overseed and you should be fine.
The 3rd pic looks like residual red thread, but no so the first two pics, with lots of patches.
Why was the lawn replaced? Any history of chafers / leather jackets?
Amanda has given good advice; my only additions would be to aerate it a couple of times in the autumn and to poke around and check for grubs.
Basicly had the same today on a customers lawn it happens
every year when there's a drought....basically the fine grasses
have wilted should come back with water/rain
yes they'll end red thread scarring to.....lots about
p.s as someone fed it.....on pic one I can see fert ?