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About a month ago I had roll on Kikuya lawn planted. Since then the area has had a lot of rain and irrigation and everything seemed to be going okay until recently when portions started thinning out. Below are pictures of what I mean.

Here you can see the part that is thinning out vs. a healthier part. It seems to be spreading and started out as a much smaller area. Lawn for comparison

Here is a close up of the grass at the troublesome area. Lawn closeup

I have no idea what is doing this. I haven't been able to spot any pests or ants and have been very careful when mowing the lawn.

Is there any way to determine the cause?

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    If I only had the first picture to go on, I'd have thought it had been damaged by a mower or line trimmer. Could you post photos with a wider view? Got many rabbits in your area?
    – That Idiot
    Dec 30, 2014 at 14:09
  • Looks like it's getting chewed off.
    – J. Musser
    Dec 30, 2014 at 22:23
  • Way too short if a lawnmower was used on it. Grass needs enough top growth to keep the roots alive. Dec 31, 2014 at 2:39
  • Does the ground rise up slightly to meet the paving in the picture, meaning the grass is laid on a slight slope in that part? Have you grasped the failing area and tried to lift it - it may be its not got good contact with the soil in that area. Have you used anything on the paving, like a cleaner or treatment, since the grass was laid?
    – Bamboo
    Dec 31, 2014 at 11:24

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I would go easy on the mowing for a week or two. It looks like it was mowed too closely, or is being eaten by something. I've saved pieces like this with throwing a 50/50 mixture of compost and grainy sand over such areas, and then covering with a animal repellent (like thorny branches) and making sure it gets water. But then again, it doesn't work for me ALL the time.

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