Preventing Brown Patch: Do The Basics
Good basic lawn care practices represent the best way to prevent brown patch and other lawn diseases.
the best way to prevent brown patch or large patch in the home lawn is by following good lawn care practices, Clemson HGIC says.
Once you have an outbreak, you really cant treat symptoms, Patton says. Whats already been affected wont be cured overnight.
The best defense for your lawn, as with other pest and disease problems, is a good foundation, he said. the best way to prevent brown patch or large patch in the home lawn is by following good lawn care practices, according to Clemsons guide.
Attention to cultural practices taking proper care of your lawn with regular mowing, proper fertilizing, irrigation, air circulation and weed control help prevent brown patch.
Why Does My Lawn Have Brown Or Discolored Patches Of Grass
You put hours into your lawn, doing everything you were told to do to make the grass green and lush. Youve aerated, fed, watered, and mowed, and everything looked great until suddenly, it didnt. Almost overnight, there are patches of dead grass. Or maybe some spots are an unusual color, or just look off somehow. Whatever the issue, its unsightly, and it looks to be spreading.
Oftentimes, when a lawn develops problems like dead or discolored areas, the culprit is disease or lawn fungus. But before you give up and decide to just replace your lawn with artificial turf, you should know that your grass can be saved. By correctly identifying the problem, and applying the proper treatment, you can eradicate the disease and go back to enjoying a yard full of healthy grass.
Symptoms Of Brown Patch
Brown patch appears as irregular circular patches in the lawn that are brownish yellow in color and range from 6 inches to several feet in diameter. The affected leaves usually remain upright, and close inspection shows lesions on the leaves that are tan in color and irregular in shape with a dark brown border. White, cottony, mycelium can be found on dew-covered turf in the early part of the morning.
Brown patch is notable for a distinctive smoke ring border that is sometimes visible on the outer edge, giving the patch a frog-eye appearance. The ring itself is typically 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and is most visible in the morning. Sometimes grass within the ring is entirely killed, creating a sunken look to the patch, but more often the grass inside the patch simply becomes thinner than the surrounding lawn.
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How To Treat And Heal Lawn Fungus
If you are looking to limit the development of fungus, we recommended that you:
- Scarify the lawn in order to reduce thatch.
- Reduce the amount of fertiliser that you are applying.
- Check underneath the lawn for any residue or buried debris that may be there – use a knife to dig under the toadstools and remove any debris you find. You can also remove any existing toadstools simply by pulling them out by hand, whilst wearing a pair of gardening gloves of course, if there are a lot then mow them out using a collection box.
- Mow your turf to a recommended height
- Aerate soil compacted areas.
- Mix a small amount of washing up liquid into a watering can and dilute with water and pour this on the affected areas.
In terms of prevention, there are several things that you can do in order to try and fend off fungal issues. It’s a good idea to aerate your lawn at the end of summer as the extra use and footfall during the warmer months means that the ground will be hard and compacted. You should also rake your lawn in order to remove any thatch and allow the grass to breathe. It’s also important to be careful when watering your lawn to ensure that you are not leaving soggy patches or puddles in your grass. In order to develop a strong root system that can protect itself against fungal diseases, you should water thoroughly but less frequently.
Fungicide Lawn Fungus Treatment
As a last resort, you may want to try a fungicide on your lawn. A fungicide can eradicate your lawn disease as you work on improving your lawn care regimen to prevent fungi from coming back.
There are two main types of fungicide. Liquid fungicide creates a liquid coat over the grass that kills the fungus spores. Granule fungicide comes in little pellets that are spread on the grass and get absorbed into the soil. Remember, fungicide is a chemical, so always wear proper personal safety equipment when using it, like gloves, goggles, long clothing and safety masks.
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Brown Patch Fungus: How To Get Rid Of Brown Patch Fungus Lawn Disease
If youve noticed that the grass is turning yellow or brown in circular patches throughout your lawn, its likely that youre dealing with an infestation of brown patch fungus. This fungus causes whats known as brown patch lawn disease, and can destroy small to large areas of what would otherwise be healthy, green grass. It thrives when the weather is hot and humidity levels are high.
In order to get rid of brown patch fungus, you can apply a fungicide designed for brown patch control throughout your lawn. There are also several measures you can take to prevent the fungus from returning or spreading, such as limiting the use of nitrogen fertilizers, improving soil drainage, and improving air circulation. Read through this guide to find out everything you need to know about brown patch control and prevention to get rid of brown patch fungus for good.
How To Treat And Prevent Brown Patches In Your St Augustine Grass
So you finally thought you had your lawn in tip top shape and all of a sudden your St. Augustine Grass gets covered in large brown patches, and this time it wasn’t your neighbors dog. Large brown patches now cover your lawn and you just don’t know what to do.
But Here’s the thing, you are not alone your lawn can be revived!
St. Augustine grass, is a popular thick growing warm season grass, that easily keeps most weeds at bay. Unfortunately it is susceptible to brown patches which most commonly occur in early spring and late fall. But what do you do to get your green lawn back, and how can this be prevented from happening again?
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Protect Your Grass From The Threat Of A Lawn Fungus This Fall
The summers here in South Carolina can be tough on our lawns. The intense heat, lack of rain, and heavy traffic can significantly weaken the immune system of our lawn. This leaves it open to a number of threats, including fall lawn fungus. Knowing how to deal with grass fungal diseases in your lawn is important. Being able to identify, treat, and prevent lawn fungi from invading your lawn will keep your grass healthy and beautiful all year long.
Cultural Management: Preventing Brown Patch Lawn Disease
Since high levels of fast release nitrogen increase disease activity, Spring-Green uses a correct blend of fertilizers for lawn fertilizing during the warmer months. Mow less frequently during periods of hot and humid weather, this reduces stress and limits the movement of grass disease by being carried on your feet or mower. If possible, increase light and air penetration, or movement, by pruning overhanging trees and shrubs. During cooler seasons, open up the thatch layer with power core aeration. If these cultural cures fail, a preventative fungicide lawn treatment program may have to be applied to control this most damaging of lawn diseases.
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How To Spot The Fungus
The funny thing about brown patch is that it doesnt start out brown at all. In fact, the first signs of trouble are when a circular or oblong pattern of light-yellow discoloration appears in your grass. Eventually, the affected area will turn from orange to tan. It will continue to spread outward, sometimes leaving small green patches at the center. The discoloration is caused when the fungus infects each leaf, causing them to rot.
Brown patch fungus can affect all cool-season grasses, but it is especially harmful to ryegrass and tall fescue. Brown patch also affects a variety of warm-season grasses, including St. Augustine grass, Bermuda, and zoysiagrass.
One of the most frustrating aspects of brown patch is that once you spot it, the damage is already done and the fungus is thriving. The trick to successfully eradicating brown patch is understanding the fungus lives beyond where the eye can see, in your soil. When the conditions are right, the fungus strikes, making preventive measures all the more important.
Why Not Leave It To Our Local Lawn Maintenance Experts
You can fight lawn fungus yourself, or you can leave it with our local experts to handle instead. At Earth Development, we provide lawn maintenance for commercial properties of all sizes. We know how to fix lawn fungus, and we keep lawns looking beautiful throughout the spring and summer.
Our lawn fungus treatment plans ensure that your commercial property looks good from the outside, and we take the burden of keeping it in top shape off our shoulders.
For a free quote or consultation, call the Earth Development team today. Weâll save you valuable time!
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What Causes Brown Patch Disease
Of all St. Augustine grass fungal diseases, brown patch causes the most damage to turfs, as it leaves behind large sections of unsightly brown patches over a short period of time. The disease is caused by Rhizoctonia fungus, which finds nitrogen-deficient lawns more favorable. Rhizoctonia also prefer hot and humid conditions, hence the disease advances more rapidly when temperature conditions rise to about 80-degrees Fahrenheit.
During fall, Rhizoctonia fungi usually hide out in the grass thatch. The cold temperatures and high humidity during this time of the year favors them. As such, once the temperatures drop below 80-degrees Fahrenheit, these fungi start penetrating the grass blades via the stomata, causing stress damage in the process. These fungi are also more likely to appear on your lawn if theres excessive soil moisture due to rainfall or irrigating too frequently. As such, you can make your St. Augustine turf less-vulnerable to brown patch disease by avoiding overwatering and ensuring proper soil drainage.
How To Treat Your Yard For Lawn Fungus
Once you have determined what type of fungus or disease is present, its time to treat. Its best to treat a diseased lawn as soon as you spot the problem, as some diseases can spread and kill the whole lawn.
The type of disease or fungus you have will determine the best treatment option. In some cases, the issue is weather or seasonally dependent and will clear up on its own once the weather changes. Other problems need immediate mitigation, such as fairy ring, powdery mildew, or smut, as they can kill the plants or cause permanent damage to the lawn.
To treat your issues, first identify whether it can be eradicated via changing your practices. Powdery mildew, for example, may be able to be taken care of by rinsing the plants and getting rid of leaves or any other nearby debris that is causing it to spread. Avoiding overwatering, letting the grass grow a bit longer between mowing and not over fertilizing can also help clear up the problem.
Some homeowners prefer to try to treat lawn diseases organically, rather than using fungicide. If your areas of fungus are small, using treatments like neem oil, cornmeal or baking soda solutions can be effective. Before you opt for an organic approach, though, do your research and be aware of the potential drawbacks. In some cases, using home remedies can only make the problem worse, or introduce new, unexpected issues.
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The Ultimate Guide To Lawn Fungus: Types Symptoms And Treatment
Lawn fungus can quickly undo good landscaping work. Fungus can quickly spread, and once it reaches enough of the lawn, becomes extremely difficult to stop. Thatâs why Earth Development provides businesses with reliable, professional, and knowledgeable teams of lawn maintenance experts who understand just what it takes to get lawn fungus under control.
We believe itâs important not just to provide these experts, but also to ensure property owners know the basics of fungi identification in lawns and when to take action. In this ultimate guide to lawn fungus, weâll explore how to tell if your lawn has fungus, outline common lawn fungus symptoms, and discuss the measures you can take to get it back under control.
Remember â your landscaping is an extension of your companyâs brand. A badly maintained lawn can quickly transform attractive commercial premises into something that looks run down and old. Whether you own a strip mall, a retirement home, a medical facility or a bank, your outdoor space is just as important as your indoor space â and we can help you keeping it look healthy, well-kept, and inviting.
Our Technicians Customize Your Lawn Treatments To Prevent Diseases And Fungus
Contact our Southwest Florida landscape experts to discuss your landscape ideas. We’re here to help to make your lawn beautiful!
If just one of these factors is present, grass diseases can occur.When our team is on your property, we know what to look for to mitigate the current disease-causing issue and prevent future outbreaks. Your technicians will always communicate exactly what is causing the fungus, what we did to treat it, and how to prevent the fungus from reoccurring.
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Diy Lawn Fungus Control Vs Professional Treatment
If you discover fungus on your lawn, you want to address it right away. But should you DIY it or call a professional for help?
If the issue is a simple fix, and you know exactly what it is and how to go about killing the disease, doing it yourself can save time and money. However, if you dont choose the correct treatment, you could do more harm than good, and end up spending more in the long run. Not to mention, lawn fungus treatment products designed for consumer use arent always as powerful as those used by professionals, so it may take longer to solve the problem on your own.
Lawn fungus and disease is a common problem, and it doesnt have to mean that all of your hard work was in vain. Sometimes its due to factors out of your control, but taking the right steps to prevent and treat disease can keep your grass looking beautiful all season long.
How To Tell If Your Lawn Has Fungus
The most important step when you spot fungus or another problem on your lawn is to correctly identify the specific type of disease thats present. Different lawn issues have different causes and symptoms, and treating your grass for the wrong thing could only lead to more damage not to mention, youll still have to deal with the original issues. Before you invest in a treatment, therefore, take the time to closely examine the issue or better yet, get a professional to identify the disease so you know exactly what youre dealing with and choose the right treatment the first time.
There are a number of signs to watch out for that indicate a problem with your lawn, and some of them are more obvious than others. In most cases, discoloration is the most obvious sign, as grass will turn yellow, tan, or brown in spots. Keep in mind, though that its not always a disease that can cause this. Higher than normal temperatures, inadequate watering, and insects can also cause dead or dying areas, only underscoring the need for adequate identification.
Assuming that everything else is normal, discoloration is just one sign that your lawn is sick. Brown patches not attributable to pets, slimy patches of grass, a film covering the grass and spots on individual blades of grass are all signs of an issue. While specific fungi and lawn diseases have unique signs, some of the most common types of disease and fungus include:
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What Is Brown Patch
Brown patch can invade rapidly, Patton says. You can come home at 5 in the afternoon, walk through a perfectly green front lawn and wake up to brown patch taking hold.
Thats because while you were sleeping, a foliar disease started coloring your grass blades with brown leaf spots.
Its a summer disease, according to the Purdue University Extension. It survives the winter, dormant, in your lawns thatch. Then it turns active when dew periods exceed 10 hours and nighttime temperatures climb above 65.
Nighttime temperatures in the 70s mean perfect brown patch weather, Patton said. In the Kansas City area that usually translates to around mid to late June.
Those temperatures are the perfect habitat for fungi like the one that causes brown patch.
The big brown circle in your lawn is the disease spreading from grass blade to grass blade. They turn brown and brittle and create the spots that give brown patch its name.
Often, the perimeter of those spots is a gray-white band called a smoke ring. And sometimes the center of the circle will recover and start turning back to green.
The effect will also depend on the type of grass you have.
Cool-season grasses like tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and bentgrass usually start showing symptoms in late spring.
Warm-season species like St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, Bermudagrass and centipedegrass show symptoms twice during the year: early spring and late fall.