Spring will soon be in full swing in North Carolina! While this is great news for beach bums, outdoor enthusiasts, and green thumbs alike, it also means your yard is susceptible to lawn diseases. The experts at Turf Medic are always here to help when infections attack, but by following the right care and maintenance plan and learning what to watch out for, there’s no reason you can’t keep ailments off your home turf. Let’s dig in!
Fight Fungi With Proper Care
The root cause of most lawn diseases is fungal infection. Contaminations of this nature generally occur when disease pathogens, fungus encouraging weather, and susceptible grass species come together.
Though no one can control the weather, there are plenty of steps you can take to ensure your landscaping stays green, lush, and inviting this spring. First, dedicate some time to get to know your lawn, discovering what it needs to thrive and uncovering potential weaknesses. By doing this and adhering to the following best practices, you can stop fungal contaminations before they start:
- Retain the right soil pH – routinely test and treat soil to keep it slightly acidic, at a pH of 6.0 or 7.0
- Fertilize appropriately – use quality products and always follow the label’s dosage instructions
- Watch water levels – water deeply during the morning hours one to two times a week (taking rainfall into consideration)
- Adopt good mowing practices – keep your blades sharp, mow depending on growth – not a pre-determined schedule, and keep heights at the recommended levels for your specific grass species
- Remove yard debris and aerate soil regularly
Choosing the right grass for your region is also imperative. Otherwise, no matter how meticulously you care for it, it won’t have the ideal conditions to flourish.
While a good offense is certainly the best way to prevent destructive diseases, it’s not foolproof. Variables outside of your control – especially the weather – can wreak havoc despite your efforts. North Carolina’s warm, humid spring climate can make greenery especially vulnerable.
Common Spring Lawn Disorders
Keep an eye out for the following diseases – they’re some of the most prevalent in North Carolina landscaping.
Brown Patch
Most often found in perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and Bermudagrass, brown patch is easy to mistake for harmless dry spots throughout your yard. However, this lawn ailment is one of the most damaging. Once it begins, it spreads very quickly, attacking the root and crown and, ultimately, killing your grass. As its name suggests, brown patch causes dead, sunken, dry-looking areas ranging from a few inches to several feet wide.
Conditions that cause brown patch:
- Starts growing when temperatures hit approximately 65 degrees
- High humidity
- Poor drainage
- Over or under watering
- Over fertilizing
- Poor air circulation
Prevention & Treatment
Aerating regularly can help improve drainage and air circulation, both of which are important in staving off this condition. If you think your space is suffering from brown patch but aren’t sure, call us. Turf Medic’s group of lawn care professionals can definitively identify it and apply a fungicide to keep it from spreading.
Red Thread
This fungus typically rears its head in late spring and causes pink or red patches to develop. Its tell-tale sign, however, is the growth of grass tufts on top of these areas.
Luckily, this turf disease is mild compared to some of its counterparts. Red thread only affects the blades of grass, not the roots, so it won’t kill your lawn. This infection generally attacks cool season grasses like tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, so be extra vigilant if you’re working with those species.
Conditions that cause red thread:
- Mild, cool, wet weather
- High humidity
- Under fertilizing
- Poor air circulation
- Excess shade
- Buildup of thatch and wet leaves for extended periods
Prevention & Treatment
You can help deter red thread by making sure your yard is draining properly. Additionally, regularly gather and dispose of organic debris (especially in wet and shady areas).
If you’re already seeing signs of red thread, spot treating with a fertilizer should be your first course of action. Fertilizer contains nitrogen, which can help replenish your grass and even make it stronger. If this doesn’t work, contact the professionals at Turf Medic. We’ll assess the damage and suggest the best course of action to get your lawn happy and healthy!
Leaf Spot
Preferring cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and perennial ryegrass, this disease thrives in humid, rainy conditions and is most likely to appear when temperatures are between 55 and 60 degrees.
There are three stages in the creation of leaf spot, each increasing in severity. First, you’ll notice small brown spots on leaves and grass throughout your outdoor space. Next, these spots will become enlarged and develop a dark purplish-red ring around the outside and a tan area in the middle. These first two stages are fairly harmless, but if left untreated, leaf spot will develop to the melting out phase. This is where it spreads to the root and crown of your grass, causing it to die.
Conditions that cause leaf spot:
- High nitrogen levels
- Under or over watering
- Air pollutants, insects, and bacteria (though these are far less common)
Treatment & Prevention
Deterrence is your best bet to keep this eye sore off your greenery. Once it develops to the melting out phase, chemical treatments, like fungicides, typically aren’t effective. Leaf spot often occurs because people over fertilize their yard in the spring, causing nitrogen levels to spike. Watch for this and follow the best practices we’ve outlined for watering your lawn to keep leaf spot at bay.
While there are numerous ailments that take a toll on North Carolina yards, this Turf Medic guide is a great starting point to making sure yours doesn’t fall victim! Now, who’s ready for spring?!