Lawn Diseases are a Good Indication a Landscape Might Be Out of Balance
Sometimes bad things happen even to the healthiest lawns. Lawn Diseases are one of those things. Diseases are enough to perplex all of us to no end and many are not easy to identify and to distinguish from other problems, such as pests or poor maintenance. Ask anyone who has encountered lawn diseases and they will tell you how frustrating they can be. Much like human diseases, lawn diseases can be difficult to properly diagnose and even harder to treat correctly. And just when you thought you had all your lawn care problems solved! Fear not, we have some tips to help you identify your lawn problems.
Chances are that some of you reading this will already have a lawn disease problem. If so, the most common controls is to use a fungicide on your lawn. Be aware, however, that treating everything with a fungicide is not the answer.
Some diseases do not respond to fungicides. They do respond to improved cultural changes such as changes in mowing practices, or even just changing the way the lawn is watered. On a longer scale, planting resistant grass varieties to particular types of diseases may be the best solution. Jonathan Green grasses are cultivated to be disease resistant.
The key factor is in identifying the disease before trying to create a regimen to cure the disease. This can be problematic for all but those specifically trained in identifying certain lawn diseases. A few diseases like red-thread are obvious in their identification. But other diseases are remarkably similar in appearance and require drastically different methods of treatment.
Ideally, if you’ don’t have a horticultural degree, you should consult with someone that has a little more experience at identifying common lawn diseases. This is your local trained lawn care provider. They have learned through proper certification what lawn diseases look like and how best to treat. Get them involved as soon as possible. Some diseases must be treated early on.
Fungicides
If you are absolutely certain you know what disease has infected your lawn, you might want to consider using a fungicide. Diseases can form a resistance to fungicides
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Watering efficiently
A healthy lawn makes a very good filter for absorbing many things that can be washed into our streams. The ideal lawn is one that will grow best in your environment without lots of supplemental watering. We have all probably read about people living in desert areas in the country trying to grow lawns that require almost daily watering just to survive the summer heat. This is extremely foolish and shortsighted. Turf grasses were never intended to be grown everywhere.
That being said, there are parts of the country where various turf grasses are well suited without the need for daily watering. In many places, grass can be grown without any supplemental watering, or only very minor supplemental watering. The following information is specifically intended for those areas.
How much water does a lawn need?
In general, turf grasses need about 3/4″ – 1″ of water per week to maintain green color and active growth. However, during certain times during the summer when high temperatures are the norm, you should allow lawns to naturally slow down in growth during those extreme conditions. You may let the lawn go almost completely donnant in hot weather. Many factors such as the soil and weather all have a role in the lawn’s water needs. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
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Decide beforehand.
Decide before summer heat and drought conditions arrive, to either water lawns consistently as needed throughout the season, or let lawns go dormant as conditions turn hot and dry. Do not rotate back and forth. In other words, don’t let the grass turn totally brown, then apply enough water to green it up, then let the grass go dormant again. Breaking the lawns dormancy actually drains large amounts of food reserves from the plant.
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When is it time to water?
The first few warm days of summer does not automatically mean to water lawns. In fact, allowing lawns to start to go under mild drought stress actually :increases rooting.
Watch for footprinting, or footprints remaining on the lawn after walking across it (instead of leaf blades bouncing back up). Grasses also tend to turn darker in color as they go under drought stress. Sampling the root zone soil could be another option.
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Water as infrequently as possible.
Thoroughly water when you do water so moisture soaks down to the roots. Exceptions to this general rule would be for newly seeded lawns where the week. Don’t apply more water to the lawn than what is absolutely necessary. The guide of about 1″ of water per week is only a guide. If your lawn doesn’t get that 1″ of water, it’s not going to die.
Common Lawn Diseases
Brown Patch
Brown Patch is most common to Bermuda, Kentucky Bluegrass, Centipede Grass, Bent Grass, St. Augustine, and ryegrasses in regions with high humidity and/or shade. Brown patch commonly starts as a small spot and can quickly spread outwards in a circular or horseshoe pattern up to a couple of feet wide. Often times, While expanding outwards, the inside of the circle will recover, leaving the brown areas resembling a smoke-ring.
Prevent
The best prevention for brown patch is to aerate often, reduce shade to affected areas, and follow a fertilization schedule to help prevent fertilization with excess amounts nitrogen.
Treat
The most common fungicides used on Brown Patch are: benomyl, and chlorothalonil.
Dollar Spot
Dollar spots are most common to Kentucky Bluegrass, Bentgrass, and Bermuda in humid climates. They get their name from their small silver dollar-like shape, but can grow to the size of a small grapefruit. Affected areas usually look brown or straw-colored in appearance. The spots may merge to form large patches several feet wide.
Dollar spot is most common during warm, wet weather with heavy dews and in those lawns with low levels of nitrogen.
Prevent
The best prevention for brown patch includes: frequent aerating; watering only in the morning hours if additional water is necessary; remove excess thatch; and follow a fertilization schedule to help increase the amount of nitrogen levels in your lawn.
Treat
The most common fungicides used are: benomyl, anilazine, and thiophanate.
Make two applications of a contact fungicide, 7-10 days apart, beginning when the disease is first evident. Damaged grass will recover if treated soon enough.
Fairy Rings
Fairy Rings can grow in most grasses, and are distinguishable by circular rings filled with fast-growing, dark-green grass. Around the perimeter of the ring, the grass will typically turn brown and often times grow mushrooms. Fairy rings typically grow in soils that contain wood debris and/or old decaying tree stumps.
Prevent
The best prevention for fairy ring is to aerate the diseased area, water well in the morning hours, remove excess thatch, and follow a fertilization schedule to help increase the amount of nitrogen levels in your lawn.
Treat
No cure once established.
Rust
Rust gets its name from the orange, “rusty”appearance it gives leaf blades. Most commonly affecting ryegrasses and Kentucky Bluegrass, rust tends to flourish in conditions of: morning dew, shade, high soil compaction, and low-fertility. The best way to check for rust problems is by taking a white tissue or paper towel and rubbing a few grass blades through it. If an orange color remains, then it’s usually rust.
Prevent
The best prevention for rust is to aerate your lawn, water well in the morning hours, reduce shade to grass, mow more frequently and bag grass clippings. Also, follow a fertilization schedule to help increase the amount of nitrogen levels in your lawn. If Rust has been a problem in the past, mow frequently and remove clippings from lawn.
Treat
The most common fungicides used on rust are: Triadimefon and Anilazine.
Repeat the application every 7 – 14 days until improvement is seen.
Red Thread
Red Thread is most common to Fescues, Ryegrasses, and Kentucky Bluegrasses during times of moist and cool weather. Red Thread gets its name from the pinkish-red threads that form around the leaf blades and bind thein together. Eventually, the affected grass will turn brown.
It attacks only leaves and leaf sheaths and is seldom serious enough to kill a lawn. The red threads will be most visible when wet.
Prevent
The best prevention for Red Thread is aerate often and remove thatch. Mowing to proper levels, reduce shade on lawn, follow a regular fertilization schedule. Make sure to include nitrogen and potassium.
Treat
The most common fungicide used on Red Thread is chlorothalonil
Follow label directions. Repeat the treatment two times at intervals of 7 to 10 days.
Powdery Mildew
Grass looks as though it is sprinkled with flour. Kentucky bluegrass and shade areas are the most susceptible. Grass will wither and die.
Prevent
Water only in the morning; reduce shade by pruning, aerate and check drainage in the area.
Treat
General fungicide