Did
you know that your lawn still needs maintenance long past the summer? This is a
surprising fact for many homeowners, who only think of the hot weather and summer
barbeques when they think lawn care. But when the weather begins to change
towards the end of summer, lawns need even more looking after.
One
particular blight called brown patch is hitting us hard this year in Louisiana,
and it can make your lawn look discolored and patchy next year as well. Brown
patch is caused by a fungus called Rhizoctonia solani
and is usually seen the most in spring and late
summer to early fall. While this is an issue that can arise any year,
this year we’ve seen some of the worst cases we’ve dealt with. Here’s why this
is affecting yards so much this year:
Heat and Moisture
There
was an abundant amount of rain fall this summer, which can have an adverse
effect on grass. Grass needs to be able to dry out completely, regularly, in
order to stay healthy. With so much water combined with so much heat, the grass is dying rapidly. One reason that the
moisture makes grass dye is that it washes away nutrients like nitrogen, which
is a key part of healthy lawns.
Which Grass Types Are Impacted?
Most
warm-season grass that you would find in the average yard in Louisiana is
affected by brown patch. That includes
St. Augustine, centipede, Bermuda, and Zoysia.
These grasses are already at the stage of naturally dying off as they prepare
for winter, and combined with the poor growing conditions,
they are doing so at a much faster rate than normal. This is what
creates those unsightly brown and bald spots on your late summer lawn.
What to Look For
Brown
patch is easy to spot when you know what you’re looking for. Your grass will
turn brown or gray, in irregular patches that are often circular, but not
always. These patches range in size, from just a few inches in diameter, to
several feet. The brown patch areas will spread quickly to the rest of your
lawn, and the dying spots will also start
to attack leaves of any plants that grow in your lawn. You’ll see the leaves
starting to turn yellow, red, orange, or purple depending on the type of grass
you have.
DIY Treatments for Brown Patch
One
thing that many people try for treating brown patch is adding a nitrogen-heavy
fertilizer to their lawn. This can work in some cases, especially when combined
with a fungicide to attack the fungus that causes brown patch. If you use a
fungicide, you’ll need to time it so that the product isn’t washed away by the
rain. Any type of systemic fungicide for grass at a local garden center can
work for mild cases of brown patch.
Call Fischer for Professional Lawn Maintenance
If
you aren’t having luck with the fungicide, we have more than six decades of
experience in lawn care. Let us help you get your beautiful lawn back! You can
save your time and get your weekends back for relaxing while we do the work.
You can also save your beautiful lawn, and save potentially thousands of
dollars thanks to preventative measures that stop brown patch and other harmful
fungi before they start. We’ll take care of all the maintenance so that you can
simply enjoy your lawn all year long.
Contact us online, or chat with us live, to get started. You can also give
us a call at 800-391-2565.
Sources:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/rbogren/articles/page1475241948863
http://louisianablooms.com/blog/04/20/2013/try-these-
tips-to- battle-brown-
patch
http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2015/05/how_to_treat_lawn_fungus_causi.html
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