Detecting and Understand the Source...

Drainage

Lawn disease can be attributed to four causes - improper watering, poor drainage, improper mowing and over fertilization. A sure sign of poor drainage is standing water, which can encourage fungal and algal pathogens to attack your lawn.

Fungus

Fungus Thrives during periods of prolonged moisture, humidity, and temperatures above 75 degrees. Even though fungus growth doesn't necessarily always mean your lawn is diseased, most lawn disease situations are caused from fungus. Fungi often appear suddenly, and can dissappear almost as quickly.

Fungal pathogens can be induced through improper lawn care. Such things as improper drainage and improper mowing times can allow for these fungal pathogens to attack your lawn. If you cut your lawn too often, the clippings left strewn about your yard can be the targets of these pathogens which then lead to the grass in the rest of your yard.

Feeding and Growth

If you overstimulate your grass with high amounts of nitrogen, you can bring about thatch problems which can be pretty extensive. Thatch itself is decaying organic material, which can be the perfect enviroment to encourage fungal growth. Thatch also forms a hydrophobic layer which can take away from the transfer of nutrients within the soil.

Treating Your Lawn Disease...

In order to treat your lawn disease effectively, you first need to identify the source of the problem properly. Often times, disease are only temporary and the lawn will correct itself. Other times there are no cure for diseases, which would leave your lawn to die or find its own means to survive on its own. If you are encountering a fungal disease, be sure that you are treating your lawn with the fungicide that best suits the type of fungal pathogen that is attacking your lawn.

Preventing Disease of Your Lawn...

The best way to prevent disease is to mow, water, drain, and fertilize your lawn according to its needs. However, the more you treat your lawn, the more important it is to keep a watch on it. Preventing first signs of fungal outbreaks is a faster and easier way when compared to treating full outbreaks.

Here is a list of things You can do to prevent/treat your lawn against disease:

1. Allow your turf to dry thoroughly between waterings.
2. Provide proper drainage or eliminate low, wet areas in the lawn.
3. Mow your lawn less frequently, higher and with a sharp blade.
4. Plan a fall aeration if thatch is over 1/2 inch thick.
5. Treat lawn with a fungicide.

For More Information, Contact Dowco!