How To Treat Brown Patch In St Augustine Grass
Brown patch disease is caused by practices that are controllable and avoidable. Proper lawn maintenance eliminates chances of Rhizoctonia Solani attack. Practices such as timely and adequate watering and applying appropriate fertilizers go a long way in treating and maintaining your St. Augustine grass lawn.
Implement these steps to treat brown patches in St. Augustine grass.
Dont Overwater Your Lawn
Brown patch mold thrives in damp conditions which is why you should avoid frequent watering. You should water St. Augustine grass twice per week during Daylight Savings Time, and once per week during Eastern Standard Time.
Depending on the drainage of your lawn, the quantity of the water required varies. However, a water depth of a 1/2 an inch, is the typical recommendation for St. Augustine.
Signs Of Fungus In St Augustine Grass
The signs of fungal infections in St. Augustine grass may vary depending on the type of fungus. Some types of fungi affect the leaves more while others affect the roots. For example, brown patch affects primarily the leaf blades while Pythium ssp. causes root rot.
Here are the signs of fungus in St. Augustine grass:
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Types Of Fungus In St Augustine Grass
St. Augustine grass fungus disease is generally referred to as brown patch disease, but thats just one type of fungal diseases that affects most warm-season turfgrasses. Most lawn fungal infections eventually manifest as visible patches of brown discoloration in lawns, hence the name.
Here are the different types of fungus that can affect St. Augustine grass:
Replace Affected Grass With New Sod
This DIY treatment method is best for fairy ring fungus a type of grass fungus that manifests itself as a brown ring of dead grass enclosing a dark-green patch.
Fairy ring fungus can be treated through the removal of any white soil sections on the outer parts of the rings. Once youve removed the affected areas, refill the excavated lawn area with a fresh layer of St. Augustine grass sod.
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What Is St Augustine Fungus
St. Augustine fungus is unfortunately common in lawns, especially in the spring season. Some of the top fungi that we see in St. Augustine grass are take-all rot, brown-patch, and Grey Leaf Spot. With the proper attention to treatments, grass fungi can be controlled. Lets take a closer look at each of these fungus diseases.
- Take-All Root Rot
Yes, this form of lawn fungus is as icky as it sounds! This type of grass fungus can affect St. Augustine and Bermuda grass. When this fungus affects bermuda grass it is often referred to as bermudagrass decline. Take-all root rot can form circular patches of brown, dead-looking grass. If you see patches of straw-colored or brown grass, you may have a case of take-all root rot on your hands! Know that chinch bug damage can also look very similar to take-all root rot but it requires a very different treatment. It is best to call a expert, like Weedex Lawn Care, to diagnosis your lawn to insure the problem is identified correctly lawn issue. If you misdiagnosis the problem, the damage could spread and you risk losing your entire lawn.
Nothing like stepping out onto your lawn to enjoy your Saturday, expecting lush, green, dense grass, and having a thin layer of brown grass poke your feet! Luckily, our expert lawn technicians at Weedex are just a phone call away! Let us tackle this frustrating problem for you.
Best Fungicide For Brown Patch
The most vital aspect of fungicide application is ensuring the product eliminates brown patch and remain safe for your St. Augustine lawn. The best fungicides for brown patch disease contain azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, or fluoxastrobin as active ingredients. Apply fungicides in 14 to 28-day intervals, depending on the composition and efficacy of the product.
Alternate fungicides to prevent resistance. Also, use liquid spray fungicides that are easier to apply than granular fungicides which require watering. The following fungicides eliminate brown patches without harming your turf.
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What Causes Brown Patch Disease
Some types of fungi such as take-all root rot exist naturally in the lawn while others are triggered by the prevailing conditions in the grass. Therefore, it is important to determine the exact cause in order to prevent the disease from recurring after treatment.
Here are the causes of brown patch disease in lawns:
- Overwatering: Too much water from rainfall or irrigation leads to prolonged wetness in the lawn. Such conditions attract fungal diseases such as Phythium root rot in St. Augustine grass.
- Overfertilization: Applying too much fertilizer in your lawn can cause increased biological activity in your lawn, leading to fungal infections and even fertilizer burn. Keep in mind that Rhizoctonia fungus can also find nitrogen-deficient lawns more favorable.
- Shade in the lawn: Too much shade in your lawn can mean due settles in the shaded areas for prolonged periods, which encourages fungi to grow.
- Hot and humid conditions: Rhizoctonia and phythium blight prefer hot and wet conditions. These fungal diseases advance rapidly when temperature conditions rise to about 80-90°F.
- Too much organic matter in the soil: Excessive organic matter can result from poor topdressing methods or leftover debris during lawn establishment. These attract fairy rings and mushroom to germinate in the lawn.
Treating St Augustine Grass Fungus
When treating your lawn for fungus, avoid using nitrogen fertilizer, as it encourages fast growth. What you might not realize is that encouraging your St. Augustine grass to grow can actually make your lawn more susceptible to fungus.
Many homeowners will turn to fungicides to address lawn issues. However, if you apply a product that is not specially formulated for St. Augustine grass, you may inadvertently cause other problems.
If youre wondering when to apply fungicide on your lawn, the answer is as soon as possible. The more the fungus grows, the harder it will be to eradicate.
When applying fungicide, be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions. Keep in mind that fungicide does contain chemicals, so be extremely cautious during application. Wear eye protection, heavy gloves, pants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks and closed-toed shoes to protect yourself. Most of the time, hiring a professional to apply fungicide for you can be the easiest option.
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What Causes Brown Patches In St Augustine Grass
St. Augustine Grass is susceptible to a type of fungus aptly called brown patch fungus. Brown patch fungus unsurprisingly causes large brown patched in the lawn. Brown patch fungus proliferates in cool wet conditions.
Maintaining your yard properly can prevent this type of fungus from destroying your lawn. Most steps for patch fungus prevention are typical for maintaining any yard, but St. Augustine grass can be a bit more sensitive.
For more on taking care of any lawn check out out The Ultimate Lawn Care Guide
What Causes Brown Patches
St. Augustine is a popular, thick-growing grass that keeps most weeds at bay and does well in warm climates. Unfortunately, St. Augustine is particularly susceptible to a fungus called brown patch fungus that occurs most commonly in the fall and early spring. It thrives in cool, wet conditions and will spread across your yard.
Fortunately, good maintenance can prevent brown patch fungus. Even if you already have it, following the steps below will restore your yard to its former lush green condition.
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Know How To Protect Your Lawns Health
Avoid disease destruction with these brown patch tips.
The beauty of a lawn can be quickly destroyed by brown patch , a serious fungal disease that can affect turfgrass. There are no turfgrass species entirely resistant to brown patch currently available, so it is very important for your entire lawns health to get treatment as soon as you notice any signs of brown patch disease.
The lawn care professionals at Fairway Lawns can help treat brown patch and get your lawn back to looking its best! Contact us today!
Vlog: How To Prevent Brown Patch Fungus In Your Gainesville Lawn
If a St.Augustine lawn has developed circular patches of dead, brown areas of turf, then the most likely cause for these brown patches will be a lawn fungus disease called Brown Patch, or Large Patch Fungus.
Brown Patch lawn disease is triggered in a consistent time of year as the weather transitions from Summer to Winter or Winter to Summer .
Brown Patch will be identified by circular browning patches of lawn which will continue to grow in size from the size of a dinner plate up to a few feet in diameter. Multiple circles of Brown Patch are common on St Augustine lawns infected by the disease.
The browning leaf of the Saint Augustine grass will also pull away from the grass stem very easily. On inspection, the lower part of the dead leaf will appear as a rotting dark brown color.
Treating Brown Patch Disease in Saint Augustine GrassPrevention is the key to stopping all lawn diseases in a Saint Augustine lawn, and many of the same preventative measures which stop Brown Patch from taking hold in a lawn will also be the cure.
Here are the key steps to treating Brown Patch:- Water only in the morning- Reduce irrigation as much as possible until the disease is gone- Stop fertilization until the lawn is recovered- Apply a lawn fungicide if necessary
To learn more about our Gainesville, Fl lawn pest control service, visit our website at
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Circular Spots On Grass Blades
Small brown leaf spots appear as the initial signs of fungal disease on St. Augustine grass leaf blades. These circular spots quickly expand into elongated or oblong tan-colored spots on the foliage. The borders are usually purplish or brown, a major sign of gray leaf spot which at some point may manifest as patches of yellowing grass in your lawn.
How Do I Prevent Brown Patch
Prevention is much easier to deal with than treatment after a fungus develops! The common themes of unwanted fungus are humid/damp conditions, over-watered lawns, dry lawns, and poorly maintained lawns.
- Water the proper amount, at the proper time of day. Water sitting/pooling in your lawn overnight can promote fungus so try to water between midnight and 9 am, allowing it to dry before the heat of the day sets in.
- Avoid high rates of nitrogen fertilizer during the fall and winter. The disease-causing fungus readily attacks the lush growth of grass which nitrogen promotes.
- Aerating helps to remove extra thatch and brings better air circulation and water penetration to your lawn.
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How To Treat And Prevent St Augustine Grass Fungus
The best way to control brown patch disease in St. Augustine grass lawns is by following a proper lawn care program that includes regular mowing, dethatching, core aeration, and a proper watering schedule. In case there are signs of the disease, early treatment using a fungicide is key in managing the damage. You may need to apply fungicides as a prevention measure in turfgrasses and regions that are prone to fungal infections.
Here are 7 ways to treat and prevent fungus in St. Augustine grass:
How To Maintain Your Lawn To Help Reduce Brown Patch
A healthy lawn is a stronger lawn and will be better able to withstand fungal diseases like brown patch. Follow these guidelines:
- Plant disease-resistant varieties and seed mixtures. For example, Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed Heat-Tolerant Blue® Mix for Tall Fescue Lawns combines improved turf-type tall fescue varieties with a heat-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass to help reduce the impact of brown patch on your lawn.
- Reduce the amount of time the grass blades are wet. When needed, water during the early morning hours. Dont water between 7:00 PM and 3:00 AM, as the blades will stay wet overnight.
- Feed the lawn regularly with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food. Be sure to follow label directions, as overfed lawns are more susceptible to brown patch.
- Unless it is a controlled-release product, dont apply nitrogen fertilizer when hot, humid weather is expected .
Since wet conditions help promote brown patch, make sure your lawn has good drainage and air flow, and consider pruning overgrown trees to prevent too much shade and increase air movement for faster drying. It may also be helpful to aerate and dethatch the lawn every 1 to 3 years to allow air, water, and nutrients to move more freely into the soil.
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Want Faster Results Using Fungicide Early May Be Your Key
Using fungicide early can be an effective way to control brown patch mold. There are many fungicides to chose from, and the one you chose will be largely dependent on what is available in your area, as well as the type of application that works best for you. Whichever fungicide you decide on, follow the instructions on the packaging. Most fungicides will need to be applied once or twice a month. For the best results, be certain to begin use fungicide at the first signs of brown patch fungus.
How To Repair Lawn Spots Damaged By Brown Patch
Once brown patch has been treated and is under control, its time to fix up any bare spots left by the disease. A simple way to do this is to use an three-in-one patch and repair mix like Scotts® EZ Seed®. Formulated to absorb water to keep the seed moist and protected, it has everything you need to patch and repair bare spots. Just be sure to choose the formula designed for your grass type, follow the directions on the bottle, and apply during early spring or fall for best results.
To thicken up lawns that have had large areas thinned out by brown patch, overseed your entire lawn during the late summer or early fall with Scotts® Turf Builder® ThickR Lawn Sun & Shade or Scotts® Turf Builder® ThickR Lawn Tall Fescue Mix . Both formulas contain a combination of seed, controlled-release fertilizer, and soil improvers.
With a little care and Scotts by your side, your problems with brown patch will be a thing of the past.
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What Time Is It Time To Get A Watch Or At Least A Water Timer Don’t Water At The Wrong Time
Watering the lawn too late in the day will leave the lawn damp at night. This is especially problematic in the cooler months as this is precisely the conditions brown patch mold thrives in.
Instead water in the early morning, preferably at sunrise. This will give the grass blades time to dry before nightfall.
St Augustine Grass Fungus Treatment
Lets take a look at some of the ways that you can change your lawn care habits in order to optimize the health and growth of your St Augustine grass while also looking out for and/or treating any lawn fungus or diseases that could be infiltrating your yard.
Are you trying to treat your lawn infected with a St Augustine fungus? Here are some of our pro tips that you may want to keep in mind when trying out treatments for St. Augustine grass fungus!
This one can be tricky to master but so effective when trying to avoid fungus in your lawn! Lets talk about top tips for watering your grass in the most effective and efficient way so that you dont end up with any lawn fungus and you dont break the bank with your water bill. Sounds like a win-win, right?
When watering your lawn, you want to make sure that you do not drench your yard to the point of pooling or building up standing water in any area. Standing water invites lawn fungi to move right in! In order to avoid pooling in your lawn, you will need to be very precise and strategic with your watering plan.
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How To Revive St Augustine Grass
After applying needed treatments to your yard and eradicating your St. Augustine grass problem entirely, its time to get your grass growing again. By cutting your grass at higher lengths and only cutting it once every ten days, you can make your grass stronger. This practice helps the healthy grass protect the grass that has been damaged, allowing it time to grow and become healthy. When mowing the healthy parts of your lawn, leave your grass clippings instead of bagging them, so that you can bring nutrients back into the soil. Also, to reduce stress on your grass during your restoration efforts, restrict use or even stay off it entirely.
As weve already mentioned, the single most important thing you can do, whether your grass is healthy or showing signs of a problem, is to create a lawn care maintenance schedule. You shouldnt just be concerned about how to keep your lawn green in summer heatthese fungi, weeds and bugs all have different seasons where they are most active so your lawn care should take these seasonal considerations into account.
Bonus Pro Tip: How To Make A Diy Water Gauge:
Take a clean, empty tuna size can and set it in your yard. Run your sprinklers on their current setting. Once theyre done with their cycle, take a ruler, and measure how much water is in the can. If it says anything over 1 to 1.5 inches, you may be overwatering your lawn! This can lead to the development of one of the pesky lawn fungi that we have been talking about. No, thanks! With this information, adjust your watering settings to ensure your lawn is being quenched without pooling. Using this water gauge test can also determine if your sprinklers are properly covering the areas of your lawn. Some sections of your lawn could be getting too much water, and other areas may not have enough water.
Finding the right fungicide treatment for your lawn can be a crucial step in tackling a St. Augustine grass fungus! Fungicide treatments help to stop the disease in its tracks. When you apply a fungicide treatment to your lawn, it stops or kills the fungus causing the lawn disease. Applying a fungicide treatment can help you control the spread of the St. Augustine lawn fungus before it infects more of your yard, as well as controlling the disease where it has already infected your lawn. There are many fungicide treatments on the market, and some treatments are only available to professionals. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, give us a call at Weedex, and we can take care of it for you! 727-9207
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