Unfortunately, our region’s hot summers are very hospitable to some funguses that not only make your beloved grass less attractive but also tend to be stubbornly hard to eliminate. These common maladies can appear suddenly and spread quickly. The best approach is detecting them early and treating them before they can do serious damage. As a lawn care company that has served the Atlanta area for decades, we’ve gotten familiar with the most common threats, which we discuss in this short guide.
Brown Patch. This fungus initially appears as spots a few inches in diameter, but those spots can quickly expand to cover a few square feet. This is one instance where dry conditions work in homeowners’ favor, as brown patch tends to appear in soil that stays both hot and moist.
An easy way to keep your yard unwelcoming to funguses is following our advice on best watering practices. If you water thoroughly two or three times a week in the morning (before 9:00 to 10:00) the moisture will sink more deeply into the soil rather than evaporating or only reaching the top layer of dirt. If, for example, you were to water less in the evening, the moisture will remain near the surface of the soil overnight, giving brown patch a chance to settle in.
Powdery Mildew. Here’s another fungus that loves moist, hot conditions, but this one can also cause problems when temperatures and humidity are both low. Small circles of white powdery spores signal that the fungus is feeding directly from grass blades, starving them of critical nutrients. Watering from above will temporarily remove the spores, but the resulting moisture will help the disease to take hold again. Watering at ground level rather than from above helps to control its spread.
Dollar Spot. The inch-and-a-half straw-colored patches formed by this fungus are roughly the same size as a silver dollar. It thrives when lawns that are receiving too much water and too little fertilizer are cut too short.
We recommend that you establish a routine for inspecting your lawn for signs of diseases or pests. If you detect any of the early symptoms we’ve described here, or signs of any other incipient conditions that concern you, the experienced professionals at a lawn service company like Simply Organic can help. Dedicated to providing lawn care the natural way, we offer weed control, lawn fertilization, outdoor pest control, and more. Our Certified Landscape Specialists are ready to help with all of your lawn service needs.