Causes Of Brown Patch Disease
Your lawn is more likely to suffer from fungal diseases under certain harsh weather conditions including high humidity and extreme precipitation. As such, homeowners in Coastal regions like Florida and California are more likely to experience brown patch disease on their lawns.
In general, the common causes of brown patch disease in St. Augustine lawns are:
- Prolonged periods of wetness especially in shaded areas .
- Overfertilizing and overwatering your lawn.
- Too much shade.
- Compacted soil
Mild daytime temperatures of between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit and cool nights also provide perfect conditions for the spread of brown patch disease on St. Augustine lawns.
Poor lawn maintenance also provides the perfect conditions for brown patch fungi to invade your lawn. Lawns that are scarcely watered during spring-summer and lawns that experience high-foot traffic leading to soil compaction are, thus, more likely to be infected with brown patch fungal disease.
Treating St Augustine Grass Fungus
When treating your lawn for fungus, avoid using nitrogen fertilizer, as it encourages fast growth. What you might not realize is that encouraging your St. Augustine grass to grow can actually make your lawn more susceptible to fungus.
Many homeowners will turn to fungicides to address lawn issues. However, if you apply a product that is not specially formulated for St. Augustine grass, you may inadvertently cause other problems.
If youre wondering when to apply fungicide on your lawn, the answer is as soon as possible. The more the fungus grows, the harder it will be to eradicate.
When applying fungicide, be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions. Keep in mind that fungicide does contain chemicals, so be extremely cautious during application. Wear eye protection, heavy gloves, pants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks and closed-toed shoes to protect yourself. Most of the time, hiring a professional to apply fungicide for you can be the easiest option.
St Augustine Chinch Bugs: Treatment And Prevention
Before you start to treat your grass for fungus or other problems, make sure that chinch bugs havent gotten to your yard.
These pests are not easy to spot, as they are only about a fifth of an inch long, but you can use dishwashing detergent to get them moving. Mix two tablespoons of detergent with a gallon of water, a concentration that will not impact the health of your plants. Use a watering can to pour the liquid over a three-foot by three-foot patch of your yard, and take a close look for bugs, as the mixture invades their space and sends them scrambling. The adult chinch bugs will have black bodies with white wings and brown legs, while young chinch bugs are bright orange in color. Most chinch bugs will have a white band across their body that makes them easier to identify.
An infestation of chinch bugs can look like drought damage, so one way to test a particular spot on your grass is by getting a coffee can and removing the top and bottom and pushing the can into your grass around the impacted location. Add water to the can, wait around 10 minutes and see if any bugs float the the top of the water. If no bugs appear, it may be stress from hot and dry conditions.
Chinch bug damage and take-all root rot can easily also get mistaken for each other, so be sure to know the differences between these problems and how to address them before you start chinch bug treatment.
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How To Treat Fungus In St Augustine Grass
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Brown patches, rings of dead grass, rusty-looking growths, and browned or yellowing blades of grass in random patterns may all indicate that a fungus is present in your St. Augustinegrass . In fact, almost all diseases in lawn grasses are caused by fungi. The good news is, St. Augustinegrass is somewhat resistant to fungal infections and the diseases are treatable.
Tip
For reliable identification of the fungus that’s infecting your lawn, send a sample of the soil and grass, including roots, to a laboratory for testing. Contact a nursery or your local county extension office for a list of commercial labs in your area.
Bonus Pro Tip: How To Make A Diy Water Gauge:
Take a clean, empty tuna size can and set it in your yard. Run your sprinklers on their current setting. Once theyre done with their cycle, take a ruler, and measure how much water is in the can. If it says anything over 1 to 1.5 inches, you may be overwatering your lawn! This can lead to the development of one of the pesky lawn fungi that we have been talking about. No, thanks! With this information, adjust your watering settings to ensure your lawn is being quenched without pooling. Using this water gauge test can also determine if your sprinklers are properly covering the areas of your lawn. Some sections of your lawn could be getting too much water, and other areas may not have enough water.
Finding the right fungicide treatment for your lawn can be a crucial step in tackling a St. Augustine grass fungus! Fungicide treatments help to stop the disease in its tracks. When you apply a fungicide treatment to your lawn, it stops or kills the fungus causing the lawn disease. Applying a fungicide treatment can help you control the spread of the St. Augustine lawn fungus before it infects more of your yard, as well as controlling the disease where it has already infected your lawn. There are many fungicide treatments on the market, and some treatments are only available to professionals. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, give us a call at Weedex, and we can take care of it for you! 727-9207
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Yard Fungus: Identification Treatment And Prevention
When you spend a lot of time with the goal of having a green manicured yard, the last thing you want to see is signs of damage. You water, mow, edge and maybe even fertilize in the hopes of seeing a lush carpet. What do you do if you suspect you have yard fungus? How do you know if the damage you are seeing is a type of yard fungus or something else entirely?
St. Augustine is a popular grass for homeowners because it is shade, heat, salt and drought tolerant. When maintained properly, this variety of grass also handles normal human and animal traffic well. However, there a couple of types of lawn fungus that are more prevalent when you have St. Augustine grass. These lawn fungus types also like other warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia.
In this post, we will tell you what you need to know about the different types of lawn fungus, how to identify whats attacking your grass and how to treat these conditions so that you can go back to having a beautiful, healthy emerald green yard.
Water Your Lawn At Sunrise
Watering your lawn too early in the morning exposes the grass to prolonged periods of wetness, which encourages the growth of fungus. It is best to water your St. Augustine grass lawn from mid-morning when the sun has already risen.
Watering at sunrise allows your lawn to dry up quickly and prevents fungal spores from germinating and causing brown patch disease.
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How To Grow And Care For St Augustine Grass
- Pin
St. Augustine grass is sometimes called “buffalo grass,” although a different plant is what people usually mean when they refer to the latter. St. Augustine grass is a spreading, warm-season grass for lawns, especially in warm climates. It is a true grass, since it belongs to the Poaceae family. It can be distinguished from many other lawn grasses by its bluish-green leaves and by its low, creeping habit that allows it to form dense mats. It spreads via stolons. Its blades are wide and flat. St. Augustine grass is a salt-tolerant making it an ideal choice for people who live along the coast.
| Common Names | St. Augustine grass, buffalo grass, carpet grass, couchgrass, quickgrass, wiregrass, mission grass, pimento grass, Charleston grass |
| Botanical Name | |
| 6 to 12 in. tall | |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun to partial shade |
| Soil Type | |
| 7 to 12, USDA | |
| Native Area | The Caribbean, South America, southeastern U.S. in the New World Africa and Asia in the Old World |
Other St Augustine Lawn Problems
As mentioned earlier, fungal diseases are not the only thing youll have to look out for if you have a St. Augustine lawn. While this turfgrass species is relatively pest-resistant, its highly vulnerable to a particular species of pests called chinch bugs. As these tiny bugs feed on your turfgrass, they let off a particular toxin that causes grass leaf blade chlorosis .
Since chinch bugs are tiny and hard to spot with the naked eye, you can identify if theyre the cause of your lawn issues by using a pair of magnifying lenses to spot them. Chinch bugs are also attracted to high temperature conditions, hence youre most likely to spot them on your St. Augustine lawn during the summer months. You can easily control chinch bugs by applying a suitable insecticide/pesticide on the affected lawn areas.
The other non-fungal problem youre most-likely to encounter on your St. Augustine lawn is the presence of weeds. Despite being a weed-resistant warm-season turfgrass species, St. Augustine grass may still be vulnerable to weed invasions if you fail to properly water or fertilize the lawn. Doing so makes the weed plants and your turfgrass to compete for and share the minimal moisture and nutrients available in the soil, causing the St. Augustine turf to starve.
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Lawn Fungus Treatment And Prevention
There are several things homeowners can do to help treat the fungus and to prevent lawn disease. You might consider taking some of the following steps:
- If you have grass clippings, fall leaves or other debris sitting in your yard, make sure to remove them so that your yard isnt vulnerable to fungal growth. When you mow, bag your clippings so that you dont spread possibly diseased grass all over your yard.
- Lawns with high nitrogen levels promote fungus growth, so test your lawns pH before adding fertilizer and add any amendments judiciously.
- Water deep and infrequently in the mornings so that the grass and soil have time to dry.
- Aerate your yard annually.
- When mowing, dont take more than inch off at each time. Raise the mowing height to allow more surface area for your grass blades to take in sunlight.
- Fungicides will help treat the diseased grass, while pesticides can help get rid of insects that are destroying your yard.
- Avoid urea-based fungicides when treating take-all patch and take-all root rot.
- If you have take-all root rot, lowering the pH levels in your yard can sometimes help.
- Avoid walking through or mowing the diseased area when conditions are wet because there is a greater change you will accidentally spread the fungus to unaffected areas.
The best treatment for lawn diseases is a combination of turfgrass management and application of the right fungicide at the right times.
St Augustine Grass In Bermuda Grass
Can you sprinkle St. Augustine on rye? It is recommended that you never replant St. Augustine grass, as it can be difficult to get good contact with the seeds without cleaning or damaging the existing garden. Annual ryegrass and perennial ryegrass are often the top options for replanting lawns during cooler seasons.
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How To Care For St Augustine Grass
sparkling. For best results, grow St. Augustine’s wort in full sun, although it can tolerate some shade. In fact, these are the most shade tolerant of the warm season grasses. Floor. Provides good drainage for St. Augustine grass. Good garden soil is sufficient. Water. For best results, keep the soil evenly moist. St. Augustine grass tolerates a wide variety of soils and, once rooted, is moderately drought tolerant, but better adapted to temperature and humidity. St. Augustine’s wort tolerates heat and humidity well, making it popular in regions such as the southeastern United States. fertilizer. St. Augustine’s wort works best when fertilized regularly and on a schedule. Fertilize it in the spring when it turns green.
How To Treat And Prevent St Augustine Grass Fungus
The best way to control brown patch disease in St. Augustine grass lawns is by following a proper lawn care program that includes regular mowing, dethatching, core aeration, and a proper watering schedule. In case there are signs of the disease, early treatment using a fungicide is key in managing the damage. You may need to apply fungicides as a prevention measure in turfgrasses and regions that are prone to fungal infections.
Here are 7 ways to treat and prevent fungus in St. Augustine grass:
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How To Make Grass Greener
- Change the watering method. If your lawn is , it should come as no surprise that watering is common.
- Use fertilizers naturally. Okay, you tried watering it, but it looks like your weed is past the pouring stage.
- Get rid of syrup build-up. When was the last time you were serious?
What Types Of Fertilizer Are Best On Grass
- Best Overall Performance: Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action
- Best for Thick Lawns: Scott’s Turf Builder ThickR Lawn Sun and Shade
- Ease of Use: NPK 1648 Balanced Advanced Natural Liquid Fertilizer for Lawn
- Best for Dark Green: Scott’s Green Max Lawn Food
- Ideal for Weed Control: Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass Plus Weed Repeller
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Which St Augustine Lawn Weed Killers Are Good
- Andersons Pro Weed Killer is the best pre-emergency weed control product in St. Augustine!
- HiYield Atrazine Weed Killer Herbicide is the best for killing almost any weed at any time! A volunteer purchasing team did HiYield Atrazine weed control to help St. John’s wort.
- Shopping guide. For emergencies or after emergencies?
- Final thoughts. st.
Have Them For All Our Pest Control
We hired them to just treat the lawn and we have already seen some improvement. Now we have them for all our pest control. The first visit they were brushing off our pool cage screens. Probably treated for insects and the screens are so clean!! Did not expect that. We were told to put bleach down drains/now rid of the pesky little bugs. Look forward to a pest free home. Our last company left traps inside, etc. We were always finding dead bugs in the house. Not after on one treatment!!! Gay Weekes
Problem Solved. Just switched to them 5 months ago. Terrific company and services.
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Replace The Affected Sod
The best way to get rid of fairy ring fungus is to replace the affected lawn sections with new St. Augustine sod. This is a more eco-friendly option compared to the use of chemical fungicides.
Dig out the affected soil sections and refill them with a new St. Augustine grass sod. However, if you find this option to be too labor-intensive and time-consuming, you can opt for an appropriate fungicide such as flutolanil or Consan 20. For maximum efficiency, pick a fungicide product that combines at least two of these active ingredients.
Very Impressed With Their Service
We have been using Problem Solved Pest Control for a couple years now and are very impressed with their service and professionalism. They always call ahead to let us know when they will be at our home and are very knowledgeable about the treatment of our lawn, trees, and shrubs. If we have any issues arise they are very quick to respond and help to correct the concern.
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Changing The Watering Schedule
You should change the watering schedule for your St. Augustine lawn during the different seasons.
Dry soil is also another great place for fungi to grow, so you want to make sure that the soil is not too wet but also not too dry. During the growing season, you should increase the amount of water youre giving to your lawn to avoid the soil from drying out.
Fungus On St Augustine Grass
21 September, 2017
St. Augustine grass is a warm season grass that is found in much of the southern United States. Many varieties of St. Augustine are known for their shade tolerant properties. St. Augustine is a high maintenance grass that demands proper watering, regular mowing and adequate fertilization to maintain its lush carpet. Improper maintenance or cool, wet weather can cause a fungus problem in St. Augustine grass.
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St Augustine Grass Diseases
We have now covered some of the most common spring lawn fungi in St Augustineand ways you can water your lawn in the smartest way in order to avoid pooling. Remember fungus can happen in late summer or the fall season as well. At the first sign of fungus, call an expert, like Weedex Lawn Care, for professional treatment programs that get results. This knowledge should make you feel more confident in caring for your lawn! Remember, you are looking out for brown patches, yellow patches, thin turf, circular patches, and straw-colored spots of grass. These might be indicators of a disease or fungus in your St. Augustine.
Inspect your sprinkler system to determine if youre overwatering your lawn or if water is pooling in areas. To do this, we suggest that you avoid watering at night when pooling water is harder to see! Lastly, either apply a fungicide treatment or call a professional company. Weedex is here for you! Like we always say, greener lawn, happier you! Let us help make your lawn greener and your life just a bit happier if we do say so ourselves. Call us now for a free estimate for your lawn care needs!
727-9207