How to Handle These Common Summer Lawn Problems

How to Handle Common Summer Lawn Problems – Things You Should Know

With plenty of rain and long, sunny days, summer is often the time when lawns flourish. However, hot weather also causes some problems. If you are dealing with brown spots, thin patches, or other issues, it is vital to figure out the problem as soon as possible. Diagnosing the problem lets you start treating it right away, so you can get a great lawn in time for summer. To protect your lawn in the summer, you need to know all about these common summer lawn problems.

Overwatering

Sometimes, a scary disease or bug isn’t the cause of your lawn problem. Water helps lawns, but it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. When your grass is sitting in water constantly, the roots cannot get oxygen from the soil. To avoid this problem, you need to pay close attention to precipitation levels. During the rainiest months of summer, make sure your automatic irrigation system is not soaking your lawn.

Brown Patch Lawn Disease

This disease looks precisely like it sounds. You get brown, somewhat circular patches on your lawn that range from a few inches to a few feet in diameter. The Rhizoctonia solani fungus causes this disease. In warm, moist conditions, this fungus thrives, so it usually shows up during summer. High levels of nutrients make it worse, so dumping fertilizer on the brown patches won’t actually fix it. Reducing fertilization and only watering grass in the morning can help. You may also want to dethatch your lawn and apply a fungicide.

Chinch Bug Infestation

Chinch bugs are a type of tiny insect that thrives in the summer months. These bugs feed on your grass which damages it over time. A common symptom is grass that appears wilted and dry. Your grass may look purplish at first or turn yellow over time. Even after watering, it will look very wilted. You may be able to spot these dark reddish-brown bugs if you look closely, or you can get a grass sample analyzed to see if chinch bug eggs are present. Frequent watering can keep your lawn from becoming stressed and vulnerable to an infestation. If one does occur, you can use diatomaceous earth as an organic, pet-friendly bug control method.

Dollar Spot Lawn Disease

If you have dollar spot disease, you will end up with small, circular, tan spots scattered around on your lawn. This disease mainly affects Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and bentgrass. Brown patch, dollar spot, is a type of fungal infection. This disease progresses slowly, so a fungicide isn’t usually necessary. Instead, you can often defeat it just by making your grass healthier. Ensure your grass is getting enough nitrogen, and provide occasional, heavy waterings instead of frequent, light waterings.

Pythium Blight

Pythium blight is also called “cottony blight” which refers to the cotton candy-like growth of white, fluffy aerial mycelium growing from infected turfgrass foliage Pythium blight lawn disease also goes by the name of greasy spot. When humidity and temperatures are high, pythium blight can appear. It starts as small, sunken spots of grass that appear slimy, slippery, or water-soaked. The big concern of pythium blight is that it spreads fast. In just 24 hours, your lawn can go from looking healthy to being entirely ruined. Typically, pythium blight worsens when temperatures go above 29 degrees Celsius, and it is more prone to happen in the damp. Like many other lawn diseases, this is a fungal infection. Preventing grass from becoming waterlogged or sitting wet overnight can help. It might also be necessary to provide fungicide. The grass may need overseeding to recover.

Summer Patch

If you have a mature Kentucky Bluegrass lawn, keep an eye out for this fungal infection. It can be recognized because it causes a ring of dead grass with a spot of healthy grass in the center. A fungus causes this disease, but fungicides are not always necessary. Keeping grass healthy with aeration, fertilization, and smart watering practices can help strengthen grass enough to overcome this disease.

If you notice a problem with your lawn, Lawn Mower Man can help! Our team is happy to assist you with diagnosing the problem and coming up with a solution. In no time at all, you can have a lush lawn ready for summer sports, barbecues, and picnics.

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