“What’s wrong with my lawn” is a phrase we hear often June – August. Texas has its share of lawn pest and disease issues and the arrival of summer can really bring them to a head. Fungus and disease lawn problems that may have started in cooler weather can be exacerbated in the heat. Pest activity definitely increases when lawns are stressed out and drought conditions are prevalent. So what’s a homeowner to do when lawn pests and diseases cause problems in the summer lawn? Here are a few helpful tips.
3 Ways to Help Us Diagnose Lawn Pests and Diseases
When it comes to figuring out what’s wrong with your lawn, it’s important to discern which problem you have, pests or diseases? We can help you identify the problem but not without info from you.
- Pictures: Taking pictures of your lawn from all different perspectives, including close ups and wide angles, will better allow us to fully view your landscape and identify your lawn problem.
- Samples: Samples of sections of your turf that could possibly have diseases, or specimens of pests (if you can catch them) can be brought into the nursery, in clear plastic bags for up close review. Please secure the samples so we do not spread disease or unwanted pests in our garden center.
- Care Logs: You don’t have to write a book report, but letting us know what type of care you give your lawn can be very helpful in our diagnosis. Ex: How often and what time of day do you water? What time of day does your lawn receive the most extreme exposure of sun? Do you fertilize, weed, etc…?
4 Common Summer Lawn Pests and Disease
When you are aware of some of the most common lawn pests and diseases that attack during our hottest season, you at least have a baseline. You can take a look at some of these nuisances and see if their description or damage matches pretty closely to the problems you are seeing in your lawn, and then come see us for verification.
- Grubs: Patches of brown grass are visible as they have been eaten down to the roots. If you grab hold of a chunk of your lawn and it easily pulls up from the roots, you may have a grub problem. Beneficial Nematodes are a great organic method of control, or use a labeled pesticide with the active ingredient imidicloprid, such as Bonide Insect and Grub Control, or Bayer Advanced Grub Control.
- Chinch Bugs: Manifests as yellowing or browning of the lawn that is generally found in the hottest areas of the lawn, or areas that receive reflected heat, such as areas along a driveway or sidewalk. Same methods of control that you use for chinch bugs can be used for grubs.
- Brown Patch: This disease now has been appearing in the hot, humid months of summer as well as in fall. It manifests as irregular, circular patches of dead grass. Overwatering, and watering in the evening hours can make this disease issue worse. Apply a labeled fungicide such as Fertilome F-Stop.
- Gray Leaf Spot: This disease manifests as small lesions along blades of grass. Apply a labeled fungicide such as Fertilome Liquid Systemic Fungicide, or BioAdvanced Fungus Control.
Of course, there may be other lawn pests and diseases you may encounter through summer, but these are some of the most common. Again, help us help you by taking pictures, samples, and logging your own observations of lawn care.
2 Important Rules for Using Summer Lawn Pest and Disease Control
Once you, and we, have identified your pest or disease issue and sorted out the correct method of control, it is imperative that you do two things.
- Read the label
- Follow the instructions
Really. I’m not trying to be glib here. Many homeowners skim quickly over the label of their pest and disease control products and may miss out on a few key points. Did you miss the note that you needed to water a product in for it to be effective? Did you miss the part where it told you the product needed to dry before it was safe for pets (or humans) to come in contact with it? How about any very important follow up directions, like needing to reapply it a couple weeks later?
Oftentimes homeowners do not get the result they are hoping for when it comes to lawn pest and disease control because they simply don’t follow all of the steps. Try it, you might be surprised.
5 Ways to Avoid Lawn Pests and DiseasesÂ
A well-fed, well-maintained, healthy lawn is your best bet against pest and disease problems. Here are a few things to keep in mind when maintaining your lawns in summer, or any season of the year.
- Water, but don’t overwater. 1 – 2 inches of water a week, including rainfall, is a general rule of thumb. Dry weather and extreme heat can take a toll on our turf, so more watering may be warranted, but we must taken in consideration any water restrictions the city may have in place.
- Feed, but don’t overfeed. A normal routine for lawn fertilization here in San Antonio is twice a year; once in spring and once in fall. Severely undernourished lawns could maybe benefit from an organic dose of fertilizer in early summer, but you’d prbably be better off top-dressing with some compost or soil conditioner in late winter/early spring to get your soil healthier.
- Mow, but don’t scalp your lawn: mowing at the recommended height for the type of turf you have can help keep lawn pest and disease at bay, and keep your grass helathy and vibrant.
- Aerate in late winter/early spring: Compacted soil restricts nutrients from being able to reach the roots of your turf, resulting in weak, wimpy blades. Weak, wimpy blades are a welcome mat for pest and disease issues. Use a core aerater to actualy pull plugs of compacted soil up. Then proceed to #5.
- Top Dress in late winter/early spring: After you’ve pulled up those plugs of compacted soil, fill them in with some quality compost. The health of all plants depends on the health of the soil, turf included. If you haven’t done this for a few years, you’re past due.
Hope this offers you some help to get on track for a summer lawn that is pest and disease free in the future.
~The Happy Gardener, Lisa Mulroy
