High humidity and daily temperatures over 80⁰ make your lawn vulnerable to what is known as Brown Patch, known for its spotty, ring-shaped brown spots it can leave on your grass. This lawn disease is caused by fungal growth and can leave your lawn looking less than stellar.
What is Brown Patch?
Brown Patch starts to form when daily temperatures hang out around 80⁰, and at night above 60°. Add moisture to the mix and you're left with extended hours of humidity that becomes the home to this disease's causal agent, Rhizoctonia solani, a pathogenic fungus.You'll notice the effects of Brown Patch in your lawn by the brown, tannish color circles and rings that range from 5 inches to 10 feet in diameter. Typically, Brown Patch is found in lawns comprised of Fescue, a cool season turfgrass.
What is Large Patch?
Another frequently found lawn disease that can resemble Brown Patch is known as Large Patch. This fungal disease is also caused by the same agent, Rhizoctonia solani, and can give your lawn brownish, orange spots and rings ranging from 3 to 25 feet in diameter.
Large Patch is most common in warm-season grasses such as Bermuda grass or centipede grass. Unlike Brown Patch, which is common in the summertime, Large Patch is typically noticed in spring and fall months, and best treated in March, September, and October. Large Patch is perennial in nature and can recur in the same spot year to year if not treated correctly.
How We Can Help
Lawn fungus treatments are required to eliminate Brown Patch's causal agent, Rhizoctonia solani. AgroPro offers fungicide treatments, and each treatment can last up to 28 days. They are typically done during May, June, July, and August. AgroPro's lawn care programs are designed to decrease your lawn's disease activity, as well as encourage healthy growth for root development.One easy way to aid your lawn in the fight against fungal disease is to water your lawn in the morning - the earlier the better. This gives your lawn the entire sunny day to dry, unlike watering after the workday.
If you think your lawn might have fallen victim to Brown Patch or any other diseases, contact AgroPro today!
How to Prevent Fungal Diseases
Lawns with improper drainage and too much shade can harbor high levels of humidity in the summertime, making those areas of your lawn susceptible to fungal growth. Excessive layers of thatch, which is a buildup of organic matter at the base of grass growth, can also prevent your lawn from lowering its humidity levels. Thatch levels are properly maintained with regular aeration treatments.
Scheduling your annual core aeration is always preferred to keep your lawn healthy all year-round, along with fungal treatments throughout the summer months.
Contact AgroPro today to learn more about controlling and preventing lawn disease.