Also Serving Brunswick Co.
Even the healthiest lawn can get sick or suffer from a lawn disease. The severity is related to the environment and how the lawn is managed. Proper mowing ,watering and fertilization is important in helping your lawn resist lawn diseases.
Brown Patch or Rhizoctonia Blight is a disease that commonly occurs on St Augustine and tall fescue lawns and can often be quite severe. Brown patch is a fungal disease which occurs when temperatures are above 85ºF during the day and 70 ºF at night. High humidity, rain or excessive night irrigation increases the severity of the disease.
Proper cultural practices are important in reducing Brown Patch in lawns. Avoid night watering; excessive moisture for long periods of time moves the disease from plant to plant. Ideally lawns should be watered from 4am to 9am to reduce disease. Soil aeration is another important practice to help reduce Brown Patch. Aeration improves the overall vitality of the grass and increases air circulation.
Dollar Spot is disease that affects all warm season grasses. It first appears as a lesion on the grass blade as it consumes the blade, silver dollar size circles are noticeable in the lawn. Dollar Spot occurs during periods of low soil moisture and low nitrogen fertility.
To control Dollar Spot maintain good soil fertility using a quality lawn fertilizer containing both fast and slow release nitrogen. Avoid mowing the lawn when it is wet and maintain a sharp mowing blade.
Ways to Help Control These Diseases from Invading Your Lawn in Wilmington, NC:
- Avoid mowing the turf when it is wet
- When Mowing, maintain a sharp blade
- Use a quality lawn fertilizer to maintain good soil fertility
- Have a Core Aeration done on your lawn to increase air circulation
