Turf brown patch

Good surface and soil drainage will also help reduce the incidence of brown patch. Avoid establishing turf in low areas that collect water or in soil that is heavily compacted.

Aerate high-traffic areas each fall to reduce compaction and maintain soil drainage. Golf course putting greens should be cultivated regularly to maintain soil drainage and aeration. Fungicides are effective for brown patch control, and can be applied on a preventative or curative basis. Curative applications may not be effective during periods of hot weather because the cool-season grasses are growing slowly and are unable to recover from the damage under these conditions.

Consider a preventive fungicide program for tall fescue and creeping bentgrass when conditions favor disease development. Now on Twitter. Search this website search. Symptoms The symptoms of brown patch vary according to mowing height.

Development Factors Brown patch is most severe during extended periods of hot, humid weather. Cultural Control Varieties of tall fescue vary widely in their susceptibility to brown patch. Chemical Control Fungicides are effective for brown patch control, and can be applied on a preventative or curative basis. Apply fungicides in 2 to 5 gallons of water per 1, square feet according to label directions. Use lower rates for preventive and higher rates for curative applications.

Products with same code have the same mode of action and are in the same chemical class. Brown patch in tall fescue. Disease severity is greater on lush, succulent, irrigated turfgrass maintained with high amounts of nitrogen fertilizer than on non-irrigated turf maintained with moderate amounts of nitrogen.

Turf stands less than one year old are more likely to sustain severe brown patch damage when compared with older turf. Perennial ryegrass, creeping and colonial bentgrasses, and tall fescue are particularly susceptible to brown patch disease, whereas Kentucky bluegrass and the fine fescues are less likely to develop symptoms. Mature stands of turf affected by mild cases of brown patch often recover when cool temperatures, dry conditions, and foliar growth resume in late summer and fall.

Apply only moderate amounts of nitrogen fertilizer on turf with a known history of brown patch during summer. Irrigating turf at night during hot and humid weather may exacerbate brown patch symptoms and create the need for fungicide applications to control the disease. Ideally, watering should be done in early morning or at other times of the day in time for the grass to dry before nightfall. For high-value turf, use blends of brown-patch tolerant cultivars of tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and creeping bentgrass.

Fungicide treatment is sometimes needed on high-value perennial ryegrass or bentgrass turf stands. In areas where brown patch causes severe thinning on sports turf and golf course putting greens, tees, and fairways, preventative fungicide applications may be justified. Fungicides can also be used on a curative basis, with the first application being made immediately after the onset of symptoms, especially if prolonged hot, humid weather is expected.

Contact fungicides do not penetrate plant surfaces and only inhibit fungal pathogens residing on leaf and stem surfaces. Buhler, W. Fungicide spraying by the numbers. Clarke, B. Koch, and G. Chemical control of turfgrass diseases Latin, R. A practical guide to turfgrass fungicides. The ring itself is most visible in the morning. Sometimes grass within the ring is entirely killed, creating a sunken look to the patch, but more often the grass inside the patch simply becomes thinner than the surrounding lawn.

Many cases of brown patch can be cured simply by improving air circulation in the lawn, which reduces the humidity that favors the fungus. The best way to do this is to aerate and dethatch the lawn annually. Dethatching can be done manually, with a stiff bow rake or dethatching rake, or with power equipment available for lease at home centers and tool rental outlets. Aeration is normally done with a power rental tool, or by a hired professional lawn service.

Brown patch fungus thrives in wet, fertile conditions, so the response to ongoing lawn problems is to reduce feeding of your lawn and make sure watering practices are appropriate. Avoid feeding your lawn during hot and humid weather, and reduce the amounts of fertilizer used. Fertilizer manufacturers often recommend repeated heavy feedings, but your lawn is often healthier with just one or two light feedings each year.

Watering is probably not necessary at all if you are getting 1 inch of rainfall per week, But if you do water, do it early in the day so the grass can dry out fully before nightfall.

If dew is collecting on your lawn each morning, your lawn probably does not need to be irrigated at all. Standing dew can be removed by dragging a water hose over the lawn, which will lower the humidity that causes brown patch disease. Lawn care experts say that fungicide treatment is appropriate only for high-value ryegrass and bentgrass turf blends; most lawns typically recover without chemical treatments.

The first spray of fungicide should be applied immediately after the symptoms first appear, especially if hot and humid weather is expected. Although fungicides can be purchased by homeowners, it's best to deal with a lawn care company staffed by professionals who are trained to diagnose and treat lawn diseases. As this any chemical application, it's best to spot-treat diseased areas rather than apply chemicals broadly over the entire lawn.

Where all other efforts fail you may need to reseed with a turfgrass variety that has known resistance to this fungus. A variety of grasses are available with moderate resistance to the Rhizoctonia fungus. Foot Traffic and Forgotten Toys. While your lawn should be a place for you and your family to enjoy, leaving anything on the lawn over the weekend or even for a single sunny day can have consequences. When the birthday party bouncy castle deflates or the baby pool is picked up, you might be left with a dead patch underneath.

Even leaving the hose out on the lawn can cause a brown spot. Not to worry, though. Choose the variety based on your grass type and follow label directions. Thatch can build up when the lawn is not properly watered, fed, or mowed. When thatch build-up is high, grass plants can actually start to grow roots up in the thatch layer. To solve the problem, follow the steps in this article to dethatch your lawn.

Whether you are just starting out, maintaining or troubleshooting, you'll find advice and answers here for all your lawn care needs.