Lawn Company in St. Louis Explains Lawn Diseases Prevention
11/03/2019
For every homeowner (and passers-by), a lawn that is well-cared for is eye candy. That lush and verdant greenery is metaphorically a healthy child fed with the right food at the right amount. However, taking care of the lawn is more than just an easy feat. Due to varying climates and other environmental factors, lawn diseases are very common. How can you detect lawn diseases if you see one? This lawn care company in St. Louis explains.
Brown Patch. This lawn disease usually affects grasses during hot and humid summers. As the most common and widespread, it can affect almost any cool-season turf lawn. When temperatures start hovering round 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit on summer nights, brown patches take their toll on tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. It usually looks like a brown circular or irregular patch of dry or dead grass, leaving outside of the patch darker than the inside. While it can easily be identified, it can be at significantly high levels by the time you notice.
Pythium blight. It is classified as a water mold and pythium outbreaks are generally associated with poorly drained soils, or damp, humid conditions on the canopy with little drying of the turf leaves. Susceptible areas are those newly seeded receiving daily irrigation. Pythium blights look like circular areas 1 to 3 inches in diameter having a gray, water-soaked appearance.
Red Thread. It usually thrives in cool, humid conditions common in the Pacific Northwest. Red thread shows up in lawns grown in nutrient-poor soils. It typically affects Bermuda grass, blue grasses, fescues, bent grasses and perennial ryegrass. Red thread appears as thin, red hairs or strands extending from the grass blades, and it can survive for years if it remains untreated.
When it comes to lawn diseases, they are best prevented before they happen. Here are a few basic rules on how to protect your lawn from fungal diseases:
Feed the lawn regularly. Diseases usually occur when lawns are nutrient deficient. So, it’s best to feed them with fertilizer regularly, at least 4 times a year. Find out what time of grasses grow in your lawn, and research best on the fertilizers which would work best for nourishing it.
Know proper watering. Water only when needed, and learn how to water deeply so that grass blades stay dry. Wet grass blades invite lawn infections, so it’s also best to know the best time to water your lawn. Watering the lawn early during the day can give it enough time to dry properly rather than watering late in the afternoon.
Mow at the right height. Grass blades which are mown too short are more susceptible to infection. Most grass types are best mown using a 3- to 4-inch-high mowing setting. It is also best to mow regularly so that no more 1/3 the height of the grass blade is removed at one time.
It is best to follow these steps in completing your lawn-caring routine. Remember, prevention is better than cure in lawn diseases. So before they strike, keep that thick carpet of grass in your lawn disease-free.
