†
Spring Lawn Diseases
Spring can bring beauty to your greenspaces, yet the change of season can also bring weeds, pests and even diseases to your outdoor sanctuaries, requiring intervention and lawn maintenance efforts. In the case of lawn disease control, diagnoses are in order.
LawnCare.net can help you find experts to help you figure out what is causing dark patches or other problems on your lawn. They understand how to best provide lawn care in your area, and they’ll help you troubleshoot whatever problems your outdoors might have.
What diseases are most common in the spring? What causes them? What can be done about them?
Brown Patch And Large Patch
Brown patch and large patch are the most commonly diagnosed diseases found in turf samples tested by the University of Georgia. The symptoms of brown patch vary depending upon conditions of the grass, climate and soil. It tends to cause rings or patches of blighted grass – from five inches to more than 10 feet. It can cause leaf spots and “smoke rings.”
Large patch occurs in spring and fall as grasses enter and exit their winter dormancy. The patches can be from three to 25-feet in diameter. The turf can appear orange. Some patches may be in the same spot or expand year after year.
These occur most commonly in areas of high humidity where temperatures are regularly over 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and over 60 degrees at night. Weather has a significant effect on this disease. Experts will help you diagnose and combat it.
Brown patch is most severe when the turf is cut shorter than optimum height for the grass you’re using.
Fertilization can help combat this. Use moderate amounts of nitrogen, moderate amounts of phosphorous and moderate to high amounts of potash. Avoid applying nitrogen when the disease is active. Increase the height of your cut. Increase air circulation. Minimize the amount of shade. Keep up proper watering techniques.
For other guidance, contact lawn care experts.
Leaf Spot
Leaf spot loves Kentucky bluegrass varieties. When outside temperatures reach 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit with moisture in the air, you might see small brown spots on leaves of your grass. As the disease continues or spreads, you will see the spot grow dark purplish red on the edge of the spot, while tan inside. This may make the grass dried out and tired.
There won’t be severe damage to your lawn unless it gets to a melting-out stage when it can spread to the crown and root of the grass. This can kill the grass.
The key to combatting this is prevention, which is all about maintaining a healthy lawn from the beginning. An expert can help you with this, guiding you to the best use of fertilizer in early spring and proper watering techniques.
Red Thread
Red thread is a fungus that shows up in spring in Kentucky bluegrasses and tall fescue. Luckily, it will not kill your lawn, for it doesn’t affect grass roots. It affects grass blades, likely due to low nitrogen levels. Fertilizer can be used to combat it, regulating nitrogen levels in your lawn.
It appears as pink and red patches in the lawn, and it occurs in humid weather and a variety of air temperatures.
If fungicide is necessary to treat this disease, a licensed technician should take charge of the application.
The individual disease control needs of your lawn can best be determined by consulting with an area lawn care expert. LawnCare.net can help you narrow your search by listing the specialties of a number of lawn maintenance companies in your neighborhood that provide services and lawn care plans tailored for you.