Turf disease management is a specialized field. Many homeowners use four-step lawn care programs that are available at home improvement stores. You’ll notice that fungicide is not one of the steps. It is difficult to diagnose – and difficult to control – lawn diseases with lawn care products available on the consumer market.
Even if homeowners were able to diagnose a lawn fungus correctly, there are many variables affecting treatment protocols. Some fungus thrives in a cool wet weather; other types thrive in a hot humid summer. Some react positively to fertilizers; others will spread with increased nitrogen.
There are four major lawn diseases that occur in springtime:
- Powdery Mildew
- Red Thread
- Melting Out
- Snowmold
There are five major lawn diseases that occur in summer:
- Brown Patch
- Pythium Blight
- Fusarium Blight
- Dollar Spot
- Melting out (spring fungus that also thrives in summer)
The secret is prevention. Applying a preventative fungicide at just the right time can save a lawn. Because we are a lawn care service, the techs at Groundhog Turf Care are aware of turf diseases that are beginning to infect a lawn. We know what to look for. For example, a hot dry summer in 2016 sets the stage in 2017 for Fusarium Blight. If it is a rainy spring, we are on the lookout for Red Thread. With Red Thread, an increase in nitrogen helps to flush out the disease. With Fusarium Blight, however, nitrogen will make the problem worse.
Customers of Groundhog Turf Care know that their lawn care technician will inform them of any signs of encroaching lawn fungus in their yards.
Cultural practices. Not all lawns contract diseases, and they can be prevented through proper maintenance practices. Accurate watering schedules, a customized fertilizer program, sharp mower blades, correct mowing heights, and keeping the lawn aerated and thatched are all effective ways to prevent lawn fungus.
If you think that you may have a disease problem in your lawn, call Groundhog Turf Care and ask about our Estate Turf Program. The Estate program has all the same lawn care services as our standard turf program, with the added benefit of disease management as well as lawn thatching aeration services.