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Lawn diseases can appear in various forms depending on the fungi affecting your lawn. They are often unpleasant to look at, causing discoloration and patches on your grass.
It is essential to identify and treat lawn diseases when they strike. Here are three common ones to keep an eye out for.
Dollar spot is a lawn disease caused by a type of fungi called Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. It is characterized by small, round straw-colored patches bordered by red-brownish bands. Dollar spot is one of the most common lawn diseases and occurs due to excessive moisture from dew, light rain or irrigation. Drought conditions and poor fertilization can also cause this disease.
Dollar spot lawn disease can be treated with preventative fungicides. Applying adequate nitrogen fertilizer will help raise the nitrogen levels in your soil, preventing the fungi from developing.
Maintenance of your lawn can also help reduce how often the disease occurs. You should water your lawn based on the soil’s moisture and not on a fixed timing schedule. Mow your lawn regularly at the right height and with sharp blades, but if it the disease has already developed, you will want to treat it first. Otherwise, mowing could just spread it to healthy areas of your grass. Remove excessive thatch on the grass because thatch buildup can encourage dollar spot growth.
Rust is a fungal disease usually caused by Puccinia or Uromyces. It may leave an orange residue when it comes in contact with your lawn. Rust fungus will most likely develop from spring through fall during moderate moist weather. It can also grow during drier periods of high heat and humidity.
Rust fungus thrives in soil with low nitrogen. You can grow the disease out by applying nitrogen to your lawn. Water your lawn deeply but infrequently during the mornings to give the grass blades enough time to dry properly. Mow your lawn regularly at 3.5 inches without taking off more than a third of the blade of grass at a time. When you mow your lawn to 3.5 inches, it will develop a larger root mass and prevent the spread of the disease.
Brown patch lawn disease is caused by Rhizoctonia solani, which is a type of fungi that creates large brown patches in your grass. The patches range in size and can be as large as eight feet in diameter. The fungi thrive during warm and humid weather conditions. Brown patch disease can be caused by overwatering, high nitrogen levels, poor drainage and aeration.
Taking preventative measures like watering and aerating your lawn properly and switching mowing patterns can prevent brown patch disease from forming. Aeration in the fall prepares your lawn for overseeding by creating space for seeds to penetrate the soil and grow. Mowing regularly at 3.5 inches and collecting the grass clippings can also help avoid spreading the disease. If the disease doesn’t disappear, apply fungicide to kill the fungi.
If a lawn disease is already infecting your lawn, fungicides will provide the best treatment. At Ricci’s Landscape Management, we offer fungicide services to help you prevent and treat lawn disease. Get in touch with us by filling out our online form today.
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