• Home
  • Services
  • Free Estimates
  • Photo Gallery
  • News And Blog
  • Reviews
  • About
  • Contact
News and Blog Articles

Battling Lawn Disease

7/7/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Lawns can be pretty high-maintenance, what with all the mowing and watering and edging. And even with all that work, sometimes you still end up with a bunch of dead patches disrupting the green view. 
​So what can you do? 
​The first thing to do if you spot dead areas in your lawn is identify the culprit. There are plenty of diseases, funguses, and other ailments that might cause damage, and to properly treat your lawn, you’ll need to know what exactly is causing the problem. 

​Large Patch Disease

Picture
Perhaps the most common affliction of otherwise award-worthy lawns is Large Patch Disease. Caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, this disease does exactly what the name suggests: creates large brown or grey patches of dead or dying turf. Patches usually start around 2 to 3 feet in diameter, but if left unchecked, they can expand up to 10 feet or even more. 
​Treatment: Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilizers, test soil and apply lime according to test recommendations, spray fungicides designed specifically for Large Patch.

​Summer Patch Disease

Picture
Summer Patch Disease, also known as Magnaporthe poae, causes much smaller areas of damage, usually in circles or irregular blobs. Often, these shapes will overlap each other, creating squiggly lines across your yard. Unlike Large Patch Disease, Summer Patch Disease ranges from bronze-yellow to straw-yellow in color. This disease is common when soil temperatures get too high, are too compacted, or have poor drainage.
​Treatment: Avoid watering during the hottest part of the day. Aerate your lawn to improve root growth, and use acidifying fertilizers to lower the soil pH below 6.5.

​Fairy Rings

Picture
​This disease might sound whimsical, but it can do some serious damage to your yard. Fairy Rings start out as a partial or full ring of darker green grass that appears lush and full, but is surrounded by a band of dead turf. Sometimes, the dead turf will host mushrooms, but not always. This is caused by a soil-based fungus that grows in a thick, matted layer, preventing the surrounding grass from absorbing water and nutrients. 
​Treatment: lightly fertilize the area and regularly aerate your entire lawn to break up matts beneath the surface.

​Dollar Spot Disease

Picture
Sclerotinia homoeocarpa is commonly known as Dollar Spot Disease, because it causes silver-dollar-sized patches of sunken, bleached-out grass. These patches may start pretty small, but they can grow as large as a foot in diameter if left untreated. 
​Treatment: Only water occasionally, but when you do, water deeply to get down to the base of the roots. Always water in early morning to prevent long periods of leaf wetness. Apply nitrogen-rich fertilizers. 
​So there you have it! The most common lawn diseases over summer, and what you can do to stop them in their tracks. Of course, the best treatment is prevention, so be sure you’re following the best lawn care possible to keep your yard happy and healthy. 

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources:
UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Extension
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
The Grass Master
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Arboriculture Today
    Current News
    Job Spotlight
    Small Business News
    Tree Of The Month

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    January 2019
    April 2018
    February 2017
    December 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

Logo
Contact Form

Classic city arborists

P.O. Box 1754
Watkinsville, GA 30677
ClassicCityArborists@gmail.com

Office Phone

(706) 410-0227

scott rushing, Owner

(706) 340-9370

23   Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 
24   since you know that you will receive an inheritance  from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 
​ Colossians 3:23-24

  • Home
  • Services
  • Free Estimates
  • Photo Gallery
  • News And Blog
  • Reviews
  • About
  • Contact