Mar 10, 2023 | Lawn Care
The New Year does not automatically mean a clean slate for your lawn. If your lawn has been neglected in the past or the springtime is particularly hot and humid, then your lawn could suffer from one of the several springtime lawn diseases.
Most diseases are noticeable to homeowners, with your lawn lacking that lush factor or discoloration. It’s important to treat your lawn immediately to prevent any further infection in other areas. Here is a list of common lawn diseases you could see this spring:
- Dollar Spot: Small sunken, circular patches of either brown or straw-colored grass. This disease usually occurs when there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil. Types of turf that can be impacted by this disease are zoysiagrass and bermudagrass hybrids.
- Brown Patch: Ranging from 5 inches up to 25 feet in diameter, brown patches are rings or circular patches of discolored turf. The types of turf most likely to be affected by this are zoysiagrass, Augustine grass, and bermudagrass.
What could be causing these issues with your lawn? Let’s talk about the several reasons why you might be seeing these problems.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Nitrogen and iron are the most common deficiencies that cause yellow spots on your lawn. Nitrogen deficiencies can cause your lawn to have stunted growth. A sign that you have a nitrogen-deficient lawn is if you’re noticing large collections of clover.
- Excessive Moisture: Too little or too much water can wreak havoc on your lawn. If you excessively water your lawn, then it can lead to fungal growth, which is what typically causes the above lawn diseases. Keep an eye on the weather and if rain is coming and make sure your sprinkler system is turned off to prevent overwatering.
- Clean Up After Mowing: Be sure to clean up any lawn clippings after you mow to ensure your turf can breathe and to prevent the spread of any lawn disease to other parts of your yard.
The best treatment for lawn diseases is prevention. Give your local pest control company a call today to receive a free lawn care inspection!
Apr 6, 2022 | Lawn Care
With springtime in full bloom, that usually means more rain is coming. Although your grass needs water to stay healthy, too much can be a disadvantage. Heavy rain can cause your grass to become waterlogged and flooded. It can also cause erosion of the soil. Every homeowner should be extra cautious when caring for their lawn after heavy rain, so it’s not damaged further. Here are some lawn care tips to follow if heavy rain is on the way.
Don’t Mow When Wet
Mowing a lawn when wet can cause compactions and create ruts in the soft ground. It’s best to wait until the grass is completely dry before mowing after a rainstorm. It’s also best practice to never use an electric mower on wet or even damp lawns.
Once your lawn is completely dry and ready to be mowed, ensure that you use the suggested cut height for your type of grass on your mower blades to keep the ground shaded enough from the sun.
Keep Off and Take Notes
When the weather is nice out, most of us want to enjoy the backyard. Unfortunately, after a rainstorm it’s best to stay off the grass until completely dry. Stepping on the grass too soon after rain can damage the blades and hinder the growth of your lawn.
The most suitable time to inspect your lawn for standing water is when you can safely walk on it without leaving footprints behind. This is an effective way to discover if leveling needs to be done or if drainage needs to be improved.
Aeration Time
After a rainstorm is the perfect time to aerate your lawn because the soil is soft enough to penetrate with either a garden fork or a power aerator. Before using a power aerator, it’s best practice to know how to dry the type of turf that’s on your property. Aeration is beneficial for your lawn in many ways, including improved fertilizer uptake, resiliency, and reduced soil compaction.
Clean Up Silt and Watch Out for Disease Patches
A rainstorm is the perfect opportunity to create silt buildup and any diseases. Both are bad for the health of your grass and need to be removed as soon as possible. The buildup of silt can make it difficult for the grass to breathe, creating a lack of beneficial sunlight.
Depending on the type of turf you have, there are many lawn diseases that you could experience, like yellow to brown patches, leaf lesions, or fungal disease. Taking care of your lawn will help prevent these diseases from emerging, but sometimes it’s too much to handle without professional care.
If you have followed these tips to protect your grass after a rainstorm, but are still seeing problems, reach out to your local lawn care company. They will be able to help with any further issues by coming up with a personalized care plan for your lawn.
Feb 12, 2021 | Lawn Care
With warmer weather around the corner, many homeowners are preparing their lawns for spring. While the ultimate goal is lush, green grass, the last thing any homeowner wants is a yellow lawn. So what is causing those offensive spots and how can you fix them? Here we take a look at the 4 top reasons for a yellow lawn and how to fix it.
Physical Damage
Physical damage to your grass can come in many forms. Cutting your grass unevenly, too short, or with dull blades on your mower can result in it turning yellow as the grass is weakened and destroyed. If you have items sitting on your lawn (such as children’s play equipment or lawn furniture), you will often see yellow spots pop up around them as a result of soil compaction. In this case, oxygen and water are unable to reach the roots of the blades in order to circulate.
When mowing your grass, make sure the mower is working properly and the blades are sharpened. Set the blades at the proper height for the type of grass you have. Aeration can help resolve the issue of soil compaction and allows your grass to get the oxygen, water and other nutrients it needs to thrive.
Amount of Water
Too much or too little water can wreak havoc on your lawn, resulting in those unsightly yellow patches you’re trying to avoid. Overwatering leads to poor root development and a limited supply of oxygen. It can also lead to fungus and pest infestations. Underwatering can dry out the blades, making them brittle and undernourished, which can also cause them to turn yellow.
Double check your sprinkler system to make sure they aren’t overwatering certain areas of your lawn and that they are reaching all of the areas of your lawn. Keep an eye on the weather to make sure your lawn is getting just the right amount of water (e.g. turning off sprinklers during rainstorms). Identify what type of grass you have and make sure your watering schedule is appropriate.
Lack of Nutrients
Fertilization provides the nutrients your lawn needs to grow and thrive. Yellow patches can appear when your lawn lacks the proper amounts of these nutrients. On the other hand, overfertilizing can burn the turf, also causing the grass to turn yellow. It is important to find the proper balance of nutrients necessary for the type of grass you have.
Choose a fertilizer that is appropriate for your turf type. Make sure to read the directions carefully and apply evenly across your yard. A nutritional supplement may also need to be added in addition to the fertilizer to help replenish your lawn.
Diseases and Pests
Many lawn diseases manifest as yellow or even brown patches. Some of the most common diseases include lawn fungus and dollar spot. Most lawn diseases are fungal and are caused by excessive moisture. These diseases slow the growth of your lawn and can cause the blades to spot and wilt. This excessive moisture is also a major attractant for pests which can also damage your grass and cause it to turn colors.
The first step is to get rid of the excess moisture in your yard. A fungicide may need to be applied depending on the severity of the disease. Lawn diseases should be treated as soon as you start to see symptoms. Try to avoid overwatering the areas and follow good mowing habits, as well. The damaged areas can sometimes be repaired by raking away the thatch and reseeding in the fall.
A yellow lawn can get out of hand quickly. If you have yellow spots on your lawn, contact the professionals who can give you a free lawn analysis, as well as ensure any lawn pest control needs are also met.
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Jul 22, 2013 | Uncategorized
During this time of year, you may notice that your lawn isn’t as green as the grass on the other side. Have no fear, Northwest Lawn Care services can provide diagnostics to let you know what’s going on beneath the surface of your lawn. For the most part, the summer months can mean very green lush grass, but the same warm temperatures might permit infections in your lawn. Way may seem like an unfortunate eye sore to you, may be one or more lawn diseases interrupting your summer plans.
Brown patch
This is a very prevalent disease that may make you think your lawn isn’t getting enough water and treatment. In actuality, this results due to moist, hot weather or over-fertilized lawns. This is active when grass remains wet at temperatures between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s important to improve aeration and drainage on such lawns by watering deeply and infrequently, mowing high and removing excess thatch.
Brown Patch
Fairy Rings
Despite what their name suggests, fairy rings are not due to Tinkerbell and her friends dancing across your yard. Rather, patterns of circles of mushrooms or unusually lush grass are due to soil exhaust forcing nutrients to the outer edge of dying mycelium. Your only choice in this instance is to dig up the affected area and use lawn treatments in order to make this area less visible.
Fairy rings
Summer patch
This disease grows as a result of a fungus that infects and destroys grass roots. It mostly affects gross growing in a sunny, hot lawn. The grass will begin as wilted, dark green and eventually turn straw brown. The most effective means eliminating this is using preventive measures that Northwest Lawn Care provides.
Summer patch
If you are interested in learning about more lawn diseases, please visit the link below. If there are any that you feel affect your lawn, please contact Northwest Lawn Care and schedule an appointment today!
Sources:
http://www.yardcare.com/restore/fighting-lawn-diseases/summer-lawn-diseases/
Mar 6, 2013 | Uncategorized
If you’re a homeowner in the South, you probably take pride in keeping your lawn in pristine and presentable condition. However, you may not know why Americans make it a point to keep the patches of green surrounding their homes in top form. It appears as though lawns are European inventions, as the moist, mild climate supported open, close-cut grasslands. Also, the word lawn is derived from the Middle English launde, which originally referred to a glade and later to stretches of land that imitated the appearance of such glades.
The monthly winner of the best lawn may not know that he’s more than neighborhood royalty. The first lawns were the grasslands around medieval castle in France and Britain, designed to have few trees to give guards a clear view around the castle. As time progressed, the wealthy non-royalty began to adopt the use of lawns around their estates, until eventually lawns lost the connection to wealth. In the mid-19th century, in areas where cities began to grow, the opportunity to have lawns in these areas was relatively unlikely. This is when the park was born, thus becoming a public area of landscaped lawns and other greenery as well as water in the form of fountains, streams, and ponds.
Northwest Exterminating’s Lawn Care Team knows how important lawns are to homeowners. We offer a free analysis of your lawn to develop the best treatment plan before establishing a year-round service to give you the healthiest, greenest lawn possible. We also offer aeration & overseeding, tree & shrub services, and lawn disease control. If you’re interested in these services long onto www.callnorthwest.com/lawn-care to fill schedule a FREE Lawn Analysis.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Source: http://www.organiclawncare101.com/history.html
