GreenSeasons
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Our Company
    • Charitable Dentations | GreenSeasons
    • Clients Served >
      • Campus
      • Commercial
      • Government
      • Industrial
      • Residential
      • Testimonials
    • Bios
  • SERVICES
    • Design / Build >
      • Landscape Design
      • Landscape Installation
      • Irrigation
      • Landscape Drainage Solutions
      • Outdoor Lighting
    • Landscape Maintenance
    • Mowing Service
    • Lawn Care
    • Christmas Lights
  • CONTACT
    • Baton Rouge Office
    • Greenwell Springs Office
    • Slidell Office
  • CAREERS
  • BLOG
  • PAYMENT
  • QUOTE

Turf Fungus in Southern Louisiana

10/8/2012

0 Comments

 
Every year, during both fall and spring, I must get asked the same question a hundred times, "Why are patches of my yard dying?"  When the conditions are right, it is most likely turf fungus that is damaging your yard.

How do I know if it is turf fungus?

First off, turf fungus only does well during the following conditions:

  1. Temperatures range from 75 degrees to 85 degrees during the day
  2. Temperature stays above 70 degrees at night
  3. Frequent short watering periods
  4. Improper drainage
  5. Excessive nitrogen
  6. Thatch
Picture
Usually turf fungus will form a more circular or rounded damaged area, there are exceptions to this. There will be an inch border where the grass is yellowing and the center is brown, as if there was a fire that started in the middle and is burning outward. The turf should feel rotten, almost squishy, like old produce.  Sometimes people mistake insect damage for fungus damage.  Usually insect damage will have bite marks on either the leaves or the roots of the grass.  A lot of time you can actually pull up on the yellowing grass and it will come up as if it is not attached to the root.  Also insect damage will follow more of a trail and be more sporadic.

how do I fix it turf fungus?

The best practice is to have good cultural controls. Water your turf for longer periods and more infrequently throughout the year.  Be sure your yard does not have areas of standing water.  Do not cut your grass when it is wet.  It will stress your grass and make more entryways for fungus. Use a core aerator twice a year to reduce thatch.  Absolutely do not apply any nitrogen rich fertilizer late summer through early spring.  To ensure a healthy lawn, apply a preventative fungicide just before the temperatures begin to drop.

If you are in a new home, you should look for areas of your yard that have a heavy weed infestation.  Usually this is an area where there has either been heavy insect damage, fungus damage or sitting water.  Once the turf has died, weeds are quicker growers and will naturally take over.

If you can see the damage, unfortunately you are too late to treat what has already been damaged.  Your choices for the dead turf are to let it grow back in or to cut out the dead area and lay down some sod.  I would recommend using sod since it is quicker and will not leave a barren area for weeds to infest.  You can treat the area to prevent it from spreading further with a fungicide.  Be sure to reevaluate your yard for cultural controls as well.

Which fungicide should I use?

There should be a good selection at your local hardware store.  Be sure to pick one that is labeled for turf and the type of fungus you are targeting.  Some fungicides can get pretty expensive, so pick the most cost effective one that targets your problem fungi for the longest period of time.  Also, some fungicide are labeled to work only before the fungus has emerged, some are labeled for after the fungus has emerged and some for both.  Be sure to read the label and choose correctly.

I have found propiconazole, myclobutanil and triflozstrobin to all work very well in treating brown patch and take-all patch.  I seem to see these two pop up more often than anything else.



0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Charlie Casselberry

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    June 2016
    April 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Aeration
    Allergies
    Ants
    Azalea
    Bed Bugs
    Butterflies
    Compost
    Diseases
    Diy
    Drainage
    Fall
    Fertilization
    Flowers
    Fountain
    Fruit
    Fundraising
    Fungus Control
    Gardener
    Gardening
    Gutter Cleaning
    Holiday Lighting
    Home Care
    Homegrown Food
    Horticulture
    Hurricane
    Indian Hawthrones
    Indoor Plants
    Industrial
    Irrigation
    Landscape Architecture
    Landscape Bed Cleanup
    Landscape Design
    Landscape Lighting
    Landscape Maintenance
    Landscaping
    Lawn Care
    Louisiana Super Plant
    Mechanic
    Mosquito Control
    Mowing
    Mowing Equipment
    Outdoor Events
    Overseeding
    Palms
    Pest Control
    Pets
    Plant Health
    Planting
    Podcast
    Pools
    Pressure Washing
    Pruning
    Roaches
    Rocks
    Rodent Control
    Roses
    Rye Grass
    Safety
    Shrub
    Sod
    Sports
    Spring
    Sprinkler
    Summer
    Termites
    Top Dressing
    Travel
    Tree Work
    Tree Work
    Tropicals
    Vegetables
    Weather Proofing
    Weeds
    Winter
    Winterize

    RSS Feed

Picture

Contact

225-752-2333
wecare@greenseasons.us

Services

Landscaping
Irrigation
​Mowing

About

About Us
Markets
Brands
​Site Map

Locations

GreenSeasons
Baton Rouge Office
11628 S Choctaw Drive, Suite 227
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70815
Review Us!
Greenwell Springs Office
14461 Frenchtown Road
Greenwell Springs, LA  70739
Slidell Office
56010 Highway 433
Slidell, Louisiana 70461
Review Us!
© 2020 GreenSeasons
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Our Company
    • Charitable Dentations | GreenSeasons
    • Clients Served >
      • Campus
      • Commercial
      • Government
      • Industrial
      • Residential
      • Testimonials
    • Bios
  • SERVICES
    • Design / Build >
      • Landscape Design
      • Landscape Installation
      • Irrigation
      • Landscape Drainage Solutions
      • Outdoor Lighting
    • Landscape Maintenance
    • Mowing Service
    • Lawn Care
    • Christmas Lights
  • CONTACT
    • Baton Rouge Office
    • Greenwell Springs Office
    • Slidell Office
  • CAREERS
  • BLOG
  • PAYMENT
  • QUOTE