Fungus in Central Ohio
What to expect with fungus? Depending upon the type of fungus, you may have to live with some unsightly spots until temperatures cool off.
Will a fungicide program help? A fungicide program may help to contain the fungus but will not likely reverse any fungus this year.
Where does the fungus come from? Fungi are in the soil and plants and when the conditions are right, the fungus may grow and spread.
Should I water my lawn to get rid of the fungus? Generally speaking you should not water more to get rid of the fungus. Fungus likes wet areas and more water usually causes the fungus to worsen. Don’t mistake the fungus for a dried out lawn. If you look very closely at the grass, lesions are often visible to the naked eye.
I have seen mushrooms in my lawn, what should we do with the mushrooms? It is best to simply get a soft rake and break them from the stems and let them decompose.
I have an irrigation system, should I turn it off? You may want to consider turning off your irrigation system while we have rain forecast. Also, it is critical to ensure your rain gauge is working properly. If it is not, you may be irrigating on top of the rain fall which will help the fungus spread. The water from an irrigation system actually will hit grass with fungus and bounce off and spread the fungus to other parts of the lawn.
How much water does my lawn need? 1″ of water is almost always adequate per week.
Could these brown spots be grub damage? Right now these spots are not grub damage but spots that are brown could be from grubs later on this summer. However, there could be damage from other insects. Try the tug test to see if you can easily pull the grass out of the ground. If you can, the fungus type may kill the grass or has already spread to the rest of the plant or there could be insect damage.
When should I irrigate my lawn? The best time is early in the morning so the moisture can dry off in the heat of the day. Avoid irrigating in the late afternoon and evening as this moisture will promote fungus spreading. We recommend fewer irrigation cycles with deeper watering versus watering for shorter cycles more frequently.
How can you tell what type of fungus this is? We will evaluate your lawn during each visit and assess what we believe the fungus to be. However, the only absolute way to confirm the fungi type is to take a sample and then send to a laboratory for their review. There are some defining patterns are usually easily seen to ID the fungi but sometimes we need to take to lab to find out.
Can I get rid of the fungus now? Probably not, but there are some things you can do to reduce chances of the fungus spreading:
- Once fungus activity starts, it is very difficult to eradicate the fungus. We may be able to contain it by spraying a fungicide.
- Depending upon the fungus type, nitrogen may help to grow out the fungus. However, brown patch is not treated by putting down nitrogen so identification is paramount.
- Bag your grass clippings so that the fungus isn’t spread through these clippings.
- Don’t over-water.
- Take Pictures and send to us with wide angle and close ups so that we can try to assess more quickly.
- Aerate your lawn each year to reduce soil compaction which will allow moisture to drain away more easily from the topsoil.
- Introduce new grass that is more disease tolerant such as Tall Fescue.
- Ensure your irrigation system is applying around 1″ per week and that the rain gauge is working.
- Water your lawn in the morning so that the moisture will dry off prior to the evening.
- Mow your lawn on the highest setting to reduce stress on your grass. Cutting too low weakens the grass and fungus can easily take over a week grass blade.
- Start a fungicide program prior to breakout of fungus.
Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance, they are dangerous carrying numerous diseases. Our Yard Armour Mosquito program targets mosquitoes where they live: in ornamental trees and shrubs and other vegetation around the property.
It is critical that you ensure that breeding sites are minimized by emptying out bowls, planters and other sources where the mosquitoes lay their eggs. Call us to learn more about our Yard Armour Mosquito program.
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