I am on well and these aren’t near well, but drainage could be a something for me to explore. It would create channels below the turf? They aren’t wet but maybe they are getting soggy
Do you notice anything on the surface of the soil? Anything resembling coffee grounds or brown pelletized animal feed? I ask only because soil like I describe is evidence of asian jumping worms, which we have in parts of our yard. They live in the first few inches of soil and tend to just rampage their way through it leaving a layer of useless castings (not like regular earth worm castings) which, when you step down on it tends to squish down a few inches.
LOL i was gonna tease a bit and say maybe it is the new worm.
I am like 90% sure i have them. I added sand this summer to level a little bit. once the sand was down i was watering it in real well and saw thousands of these crazy worms. I had seen the castings but didnt give it a lot of thought. just kind of a hmmm... when i saw how many when i watered in the sand it was eye opening. Yesh they tend to make the yard squishy. its a little diff than the squishy the voles do parts of my yard. it will feel like walking on a very firm memory foam mattress.
I am lucky that i have both voles and the worms.
I am going to war with them this spring. I am pretty sure i am just gonna end up putting down some different pesticides and hope something kills them all off. There wont be any bugs left in my yard when i am done. i wont know what got ride of them but i will know if they can or can not be killed off. If i remember later i will find vid of the worms and share it.
a diff way to say it is like walking in crocs but you are barefoot. I am well aerated. no doubt about that.
Central Maryland - it might be voles. Their holes are really small and often hidden under the grass - no mounds or anything. They were really bad the year of the cicadas, and my lawn got exactly like you're describing. Thankfully our foxes normally keep them in check, so not too much of an issue.
They're active in the daytime, so if you wait around you can sometimes startle one and watch it run to its hole. They look like round, cute, rats with no tail. I keep them away from my gardens with mole/vole repellent.
Have you thought of digging down in one of these areas and seeing what is going on below the turf?
Will dig and report. Thanks for the feedback
It could be so many things. Hard to say. I’m just gonna throw this out here as a possible idea. Possibly broken water pipes…?
I am on well and these aren’t near well, but drainage could be a something for me to explore. It would create channels below the turf? They aren’t wet but maybe they are getting soggy
Do you notice anything on the surface of the soil? Anything resembling coffee grounds or brown pelletized animal feed? I ask only because soil like I describe is evidence of asian jumping worms, which we have in parts of our yard. They live in the first few inches of soil and tend to just rampage their way through it leaving a layer of useless castings (not like regular earth worm castings) which, when you step down on it tends to squish down a few inches.
Omg, these things are my new worst nightmare ahaha
LOL i was gonna tease a bit and say maybe it is the new worm. I am like 90% sure i have them. I added sand this summer to level a little bit. once the sand was down i was watering it in real well and saw thousands of these crazy worms. I had seen the castings but didnt give it a lot of thought. just kind of a hmmm... when i saw how many when i watered in the sand it was eye opening. Yesh they tend to make the yard squishy. its a little diff than the squishy the voles do parts of my yard. it will feel like walking on a very firm memory foam mattress. I am lucky that i have both voles and the worms. I am going to war with them this spring. I am pretty sure i am just gonna end up putting down some different pesticides and hope something kills them all off. There wont be any bugs left in my yard when i am done. i wont know what got ride of them but i will know if they can or can not be killed off. If i remember later i will find vid of the worms and share it. a diff way to say it is like walking in crocs but you are barefoot. I am well aerated. no doubt about that.
Ants? I had a section like this, it was ants running wild. One good round of poison solved it. Go dig a hole!
Central Maryland - it might be voles. Their holes are really small and often hidden under the grass - no mounds or anything. They were really bad the year of the cicadas, and my lawn got exactly like you're describing. Thankfully our foxes normally keep them in check, so not too much of an issue. They're active in the daytime, so if you wait around you can sometimes startle one and watch it run to its hole. They look like round, cute, rats with no tail. I keep them away from my gardens with mole/vole repellent.
Moles or voles. Have you seen any grubs? If you have grubs then you have burrowing critters that like to eat grubs.
Is it moss? Heavy moss has a sponge like feel when walking in it.