Grass fungicide is an important element in keeping a healthy lawn, but you shouldn’t wait until you see signs of a problem. Plants grow differently than animals, and once a disease has damaged an organism, it doesn’t heal. Fescue grass is the most popular yard covering in Georgia, and fungus causes several diseases that can be prevented with fungicide.
A timely fungicide treatment can prevent the following conditions.
Brown Patch
As the name suggests, this disease causes large brown patches of grass to develop. Consumer fungicides can help manage the problem. According to the Department of Plant Pathology at NC State University, however, they often have to be re-applied every 14 days. Professional treatments may last longer, be more effective and reduce your risks of developing other associated diseases.
If starting a new lawn, look for varieties of fescue that are naturally resistant to fungal diseases, and be sure to limit nitrogen and phosphorus applications throughout the late spring and summer months. While fertilizer is helpful during times of slow growth, it also increases the chances your grass will succumb to other diseases, such as blight and gray leaf spot.
Pythium Blight
The hot, humid weather Georgia summers are famous for are also common times of the year for Pythium Blight to take hold. If sunken orange, brown and grey circles, sometimes as large as 12-inches in diameter, appear in your lawn, you can expect them to spread quickly. There’s often silvery fuzz near the affected areas. They can also appear matted or greasy.
This condition spreads easily, not to mention fairly disgusting. It can wipe out a playing field in just a few months. Therefore, commercial property owners often pretreat for blight throughout the summer months. Homeowners may want to as well, with expected treatments every 3 to 4 weeks.
Gray Leaf Spot
Closely linked to brown patch, incidents of gray leaf spot are on the rise. Experts link this to the number of fescue varieties being modified to resist other fungi types. Thankfully it’s easy to stop early on, before major damage has set in.
Gray leaf spot is recognizable from the small spots that appear on blades of grass. These spots are tan or white, outlined in a dark brown ring. At this point, the disease is fairly easy to turn around. While blades will stay spotted, they will not deteriorate further. Unfortunately, if missed, the grass will develop large orange or brown spots that will quickly overtake the lawn.
Like brown patch, this disease occurs during times of high heat and humidity, when grass is allowed to be wet for too long of periods. High levels of nitrogen also make the condition more likely or advanced. Proper watering, fertilizing and mowing procedures during Georgia summers are imperative to preserving the health of your grass.
Now that we’re into early spring, it’s tree and shrub trimming time and perfect for a grass fungicide refresher. If you’d rather leave this task to the pros, just Think Green! Call us at (678) 648-2556 to ensure grass fungicide is utilized properly.
