Getting your lawn ready for summer is hard work, but the work doesn’t end when the sun shines.
Taking care of your lawn throughout the summer and during the cold seasons is just as important to ensure a healthy lawn, but sometimes problems still occur.
Discolored, brown spots are a sign of a lawn that needs more attention and can happen for a number of reasons.
However, in the transition between summer and fall, according to gardening experts, it can only be a few things.
Phil Catron, president and founder of NaturaLawn of America, revealed that summer drought and humidity are often to blame for damaged grass.
He told Martha Stewart that fungal diseases are a common symptom of “warm, wet weather,” during which lawns are susceptible to root-targeting diseases.
Such problems often appear as discolored brown patches associated with three common diseases.
A brown patch is an irregularly shaped patch of brown or tan grass blades that appears after the grass has been soaked in water.
Summer patch, on the other hand, appears as dead or thinning grass that turns yellow before fading to an ugly brown.
Pythium blight, also known as “fat spot” or “cotton blight,” is a devastating disease that affects turfgrass under warm, moist conditions. It can cause sunken, brownish areas on the lawn and a slimy build-up on the grass stems.
When it comes to the best treatment, Phil noted that there is no single solution. However, he urged gardeners to consider improving air circulation and soil drainage as a good starting point.
He cautioned against over-fertilizing and suggested using fungicides, of which a local horticultural expert can confirm the type of fungus and recommend the best fungicide to use.
Phil said: “Keep an eye on turf conditions and be proactive in catching any signs of disease to minimize damage and improve the chances of recovery.”
In cases where the brown spots are fungi, it is important to treat the problem as soon as possible. If the infection is left untreated, the grass can die.
Advice from the Royal Horticultural Society recommends repairing damaged or bare areas of lawn a little at a time. Diseased areas can be treated with a fungicide and reseeded or patched.
Only use a piece of sod dug up from another part of the lawn or new sod if available.
The RHS explained: “The latter gives immediate results, but sowing the seeds can be easier and cheaper if you don’t have an extra lawn to use as a site.”
