When to Fight Spring Dead Spot
When you picture your perfect Spring and Summer lawn you might think of freshly-cut, green grass, absolutely free of dead spots. One of the most common diseases that spoil your spring lawn is Spring Dead Spot (SDS), and taking action starts earlier in the year than you might think.
Not only can this bermudagrass disease wreak havoc on your lawn, but it can affect landscapes, golf courses, and sports fields, making many North Georgia landscapes vulnerable.
What is SDS?
Spring Dead Spot is a common lawn disease that can be destructive to bermudagrass lawns in Georgia. This disease is especially common in North Georgia, mainly in the Piedmont Region. The telling sign of Spring Dead Spot is large spots of dead grass throughout your lawn, which you may notice as your grass begins to "green up" in the spring. SDS will cause grass leaves to turn brown and bleached, and straw-like at the roots, giving an unappealing, blotchy pattern to your lawn.
SDS is caused by a pathogen that attacks your bermudagrass from September through October, leaving spots vulnerable to the coming Winter temperatures. The causal agents, Ophiosphaerella korrae, O. narmari and O. herpotricha feed on the roots of your grass plants, leaving them open to infection when temperatures begin to drop below 70⁰F.
When Left Untreated...
When untreated for too many growing cycles, the dead spots become home to patches of weeds, making them more difficult to treat effectively. Two treatments, once a year, over the course of two to four years is recommended for best treatment of SDS.
How to Prevent SDS
There are specific variables to your lawn that can affect your bermudagrass growth, such as soil compaction, excessive thatch, and improper drainage. These things not only make your lawn susceptible to spring dead spot, but many other lawn diseases that can be caused by excessive moisture as well.
Spring dead spot can sometimes take more than one growing cycle to fully repair, since the agents of SDS kill the plants at the root systems, so having regularly performed treatments each year is key to ensuring the removal of SDS.
How We Can Help
If you are experiencing spring dead spot, or other lawn diseases, our lawn care professionals are here to help. AgroPro's treatment programs and core aeration are designed to help your lawn fight disease, and maintain grass health season after season. Contact AgroPro today to learn more about how we can help your lawn fight de
