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:
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.
I Cannot Say Enough Good Things
He told us that it would take a few months to get it in shape but by spring we would have nice grass and he was right. They come on time, are polite and professional, and the cost is very reasonable for the great service. I had an issue and they came out the next day and told me exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. Many of my neighbors also use this service and I cannot say enough good things about these guys. It is so nice to be able to recommend a company so highly.
Also Check: How To Remove Acrylic Nails At Home
Abc Can Help Treat And Prevent Lawn Problems
Coming up with a specialized maintenance schedule for your lawn can be a challenge for many homeowners, since every lawn will have slightly different requirements. The professionals at ABC Home & Commercial Services have the experience and knowledge to troubleshoot common lawn problems on any type of lawn and implement a treatment plan that will keep your lawn beautiful and green all year long. Our lawn experts can handle everything from regular mowing to chinch bug control to fertilizing. With ABCs help, your lawn will be one less thing you have to worry about.
Diy Lawn Fungus Control Vs Professional Treatment
If you discover fungus on your lawn, you want to address it right away. But should you DIY it or call a professional for help?
If the issue is a simple fix, and you know exactly what it is and how to go about killing the disease, doing it yourself can save time and money. However, if you dont choose the correct treatment, you could do more harm than good, and end up spending more in the long run. Not to mention, lawn fungus treatment products designed for consumer use arent always as powerful as those used by professionals, so it may take longer to solve the problem on your own.
Lawn fungus and disease is a common problem, and it doesnt have to mean that all of your hard work was in vain. Sometimes its due to factors out of your control, but taking the right steps to prevent and treat disease can keep your grass looking beautiful all season long.
Recommended Reading: Can Nail Polish Kill Toenail Fungus
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:
Irregular Brown Spots And Patches
The size of these brown patches will vary depending on your soil conditions. Fungus thrives in:
- Soil with low nitrogen levels
The fungus has already spread When your lawn exhibits brown patches, a few inches to several feet in diameter. When under fungal attack, St. Augustine grass blades form dark-brown color around the patch edges near the soils surface and irregular tan spots that resemble a burned cigarette.
Additionally, brown spots and patches might show grub infestation or pet urine on your lawn.
If you suspect fungal diseases in your lawn, send a grass or soil sample to lawn care experts or invite them to analyze and give conclusive results.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Dipped Nails Off At Home
Fungus In St Augustine Grass
Posted on October 29, 2021
Is that fungus in your St. Augustine grass? Yikes! If you are frustrated by straw-colored or brown patches on your lawn, we feel you. Our lawns should be a place of relaxation and enjoyment, not a host for a lawn fungus! Lets figure out how you can get a greener lawn and control any lawn fungus you may be dealing with in your St. Augustine grass this year.
Theres nothing more irritating than caring for your lawn all winter, prepping your St. Augustine grass for the warmer months, and looking forward to that lush green lawn, only to see fungus in your St. Augustine grass come spring! However, springtime and the fall season sets your lawn up to be vulnerable to several kinds of lawn fungus due to rapid temperature changes. As we know, that is not the lawn youve been dreaming of all winter long! Take-All Root Rot, Grey Leaf Spot or Brown Patch fungus in your St. Augustine grass may be develop in your lawn. The good news is, there are ways to treat these problems!
Are you doing your own lawn care? There are several things to be aware of this spring when it comes to avoiding or lawn fungus in St. Augustine grass. If you do not have the problem already, lets make sure youre equipped to prevent any type of fungus from invading your beautiful lawn this season!
Before we get into the DIY tips, lets first find out what we are dealing with here.
Reduce Shade In Your Lawn
Shade allows for dew to last longer in your lawn, which encourages fungal growth. Instances of gray leaf spot and dollar spot in St. Augustine grass are common in shaded lawns.
Cut any canopy above St. Augustine grass to allow it to receive at least 7 hours of direct sunlight to prevent lawn fungus.
Also Check: How To Remove Static Nail Glue
How To Identify Fungus On Your Lawn
Brown patches on grass are just one sign that your lawn is dealing with a fungus problem. You may also notice stringy red threads, mushrooms, and other forms of fungus and fungal diseases.
Understanding common fungal threats can help you identify the issue in your lawn. Some of the most common types of fungus and fungal diseases include:
Red thread, lawn rust, fusarium, and other fungal diseases can create brown, orange, or reddish-orange patches in your turf. A brown patch may also be a sign of weak grass instead of a fungal infection.
Select Source Propiconazole 143 Pint Select Fungicide
Select Source Propiconazole Fungicide stops cellular growth of the fungus and minimizes the impact of the disease on your lawn.
It works as a preventative and curative measure. And it controls lawn diseases like leaf spot, powdery mildew, brown patch, spring dead spot, and summer patch. It comes with many benefits, including low odor and better residual control. Its tank mixing compatibility is high and the use rate is low.
You can also use it for ornamental applications. The Propiconazole fungicide is ideal for commercial lawns, golf courses, landscape ornamentals, and more.
Pros:
- Suitable for both ornamental and turf species.
- Contains low odor better working experience.
- Its tank mixing compatibility is high.
Cons:
- Its not an ideal option for brown patch.
Also Check: How To Treat Toe Nail Fungus
Why Does My Lawn Have Brown Or Discolored Patches Of Grass
You put hours into your lawn, doing everything you were told to do to make the grass green and lush. Youve aerated, fed, watered, and mowed, and everything looked great until suddenly, it didnt. Almost overnight, there are patches of dead grass. Or maybe some spots are an unusual color, or just look off somehow. Whatever the issue, its unsightly, and it looks to be spreading.
Oftentimes, when a lawn develops problems like dead or discolored areas, the culprit is disease or lawn fungus. But before you give up and decide to just replace your lawn with artificial turf, you should know that your grass can be saved. By correctly identifying the problem, and applying the proper treatment, you can eradicate the disease and go back to enjoying a yard full of healthy grass.
St Augustine Chinch Bugs: Treatment And Prevention
Before you start to treat your grass for fungus or other problems, make sure that chinch bugs havent gotten to your yard.
These pests are not easy to spot, as they are only about a fifth of an inch long, but you can use dishwashing detergent to get them moving. Mix two tablespoons of detergent with a gallon of water, a concentration that will not impact the health of your plants. Use a watering can to pour the liquid over a three-foot by three-foot patch of your yard, and take a close look for bugs, as the mixture invades their space and sends them scrambling. The adult chinch bugs will have black bodies with white wings and brown legs, while young chinch bugs are bright orange in color. Most chinch bugs will have a white band across their body that makes them easier to identify.
An infestation of chinch bugs can look like drought damage, so one way to test a particular spot on your grass is by getting a coffee can and removing the top and bottom and pushing the can into your grass around the impacted location. Add water to the can, wait around 10 minutes and see if any bugs float the the top of the water. If no bugs appear, it may be stress from hot and dry conditions.
Chinch bug damage and take-all root rot can easily also get mistaken for each other, so be sure to know the differences between these problems and how to address them before you start chinch bug treatment.
Read Also: How To Do Nail Dip Powder At Home
What Ingredients Does It Contain
You cant just apply any fungicide that you find close at hand. You need to apply a fungicide that is safe for the grass itself, you, and the environment.
So, first, take a look at the ingredients. Make sure the fungicide contains non-toxic materials and sulfur. For better results on your St. Augustine grass lawn, look for fungicides that come with rosemary oil, neem oil, and jojoba oil.
How To Recognize Pythium Root Rot
Pythium root rot will result in a decline in turf quality and density, however, the turf seldom dies. Some areas or patches will turn yellow, light green, or brown.
Note: Pythium root rot can also be confused with herbicide damage on St. Augustine grass, as herbicide damage may cause the same overall symptoms of yellow or brown patches. The leaf may still pull out of the leaf sheath, but the base of the leaf will not be dark or rotten.
Don’t Miss: How To Dip Your Own Nails
What Is The Best Fungicide For Brown Patch
Headway® fungicide is an excellent choice for preventive control of brown patch. Headway contains the active ingredients azoxystrobin and propiconazole and delivers broad-spectrum control of brown patch, as well as a broad spectrum of other fungal diseases.
Treat Brown Patch Disease
Brown patch disease is a fungus that affects lawns when they remain wet for prolonged periods. If not prevented and treated on time, your lawn will develop brown patches of dead grass that might be difficult to revive.
As soon as you see signs of brown patch disease in St. Augustine grass, start applying an Azoxystrobin fungicide such as Scotts DiseaseEx or Syngenta Heritage G thatll kill the fungus and revive your lawn.
Heres a great video on how to treat brown patch disease and get St. Augustine grass to grow back greener.
- St. Augustinegrass Yearly Maintenance Program
- University of Maryland Extension:
Recommended Reading: Laser Toenail Fungus Treatment Dallas
When To Get Rid Of Brown Patch Fungus
Begin your efforts at brown patch control in the spring, with aeration and dethatching. Application of fungicide should be done when the fungal patches appear, usually mid to late summer, Reseeding with different grass species, where necessary, can be done by over-seeding over several fall seasons, or, if you want quicker results, eliminate the old turf grasses in spring and reseed immediately.
Spectracide Immunox Fungus Plus Insect Control For Lawns
Spectracide Immunox Fungus Plus Insect Control Fungicide fights typical lawn diseases as well as kills lawn pests on contact.
It prevents brown patches, powdery mildew, scabs, black spots, rust, and more. Plus, it controls harmful pests like sod webworms, brown dog ticks, and ants. For best results, apply this fungicide every 2 weeks as a preventative measure or as soon as you notice signs of disease.
Spectracide says that this fungicide becomes rainproof just a few hours after application, so you dont need to worry about it getting washed away.
Pros:
- Able to kill harmful bugs on contact.
- Treats large area covers up to 2,500 square feet area.
- Rainproof the fungicide will not get washed off.
Cons:
- You may need to apply it multiple times for better results.
You May Like: How To Take Dip Nails Off
How To Treat St Augustine Grass Fungus + Identify Brown Patch
Fungal disease in St. Augustine grass typically begins to show as s 6-12 inch patches of discoloration that progress from yellow to brown. As the fungus spreads, the patches can merge to form larger areas of grass that are turning brown. So, how do you identify and get rid of the fungus in St. Augustine grass?
St. Augustine grass is prone to brown patch disease but other types of fungi can also infest it. Irregular brown patches and gray threads are a sign of fungus. Apply a lawn fungicide such as Scotts DiseaseEx early to treat the infection. Proper lawn care practices can also prevent lawn fungus.
How To Treat Brown Patch Fungus In St Augustine And Other Grasses
This is brown patch of St. Augustine . It attacks the blades of the grass right where they attach to the runners.
Q: We have always had an almost perfect lawn. Last fall, where we had a tree removed, we observed brown patches and mushrooms. The brown patches were in almost perfect circles. What is going on and what should we do?
A: The two things are not related to one another. The mushrooms have been living off the decaying organic matter of the old tree roots. They are no cause for concern as they are saprophytic, not parasitic.
You called the name of the turf disease perfectly just by describing it. It is known as brown patch of St. Augustine . It attacks the blades of the grass right where they attach to the runners.
That causes the blades to turn yellow, then quickly to turn brown and shrivel. It does not impact the runners or roots. You can stop its spread when you first see it in October by applying the fungicide Azoxystrobin.
Q: Our crape myrtle developed some kind of black mold this past summer. We sprayed it twice, but now that it is bare, the mold is still there. What should we do?
A: The fungus youre describing is called sooty mold, but stick with me. Its more involved than that. The real problem is that an insect, either crape myrtle aphids or crape myrtle bark scale , fed on the stems and leaves of the plant back in the summer.
Q: I received this houseplant as a gift back in August. It has started dropping leaves. What might be wrong?
Recommended Reading: How To Dry Your Nails Fast
How To Treat Brown Patches In Lawn
Proper mowing, watering, and fertilising help limit the risk of fungus in grass. However, if you already have brown patches or other fungal issues, you need to address the problem to keep it from spreading.
Some fungal diseases can continue to spread until they destroy a lawn. Use the following steps to treat the problem:
- Use a fungicide to kill the fungus
- Collect grass clippings when you mow
- Avoid excess foot traffic on the lawn
- Repeat the treatments if the fungus returns
The fungal disease may not go away on its own. Apply a fungicide to kill the fungus and begin restoring the health of your grass.
How To Treat Prevent And Identify Weeds In St Augustine Grass
Since each type of weed may require a slightly different approach to eliminate, youll want to determine exactly which variety is on your lawn before you begin your control efforts. Some of the most common weeds youll find in St. Augustine grass include:
- Dandelions: These weeds are easy to spot, since their bright yellow flowers make them stand out against your green grass. Dandelion petals are long and slim, and additional green leaves sprout near the base. Youve likely seen these weeds before and maybe even thought they were prettyuntil they appeared on your lawn.
- Goosegrass or silver crabgrass: This grasswith its long, thick leaves that can reach up to a foot longis often confused with crabgrass. You can determine the difference between the two because goosegrass will be a white or silver color near the root.
- Crabgrass: Crabgrass has long, thick leaves that grow outward from shallow roots in a star-shaped pattern.
- White clover: While some homeowners enjoy having white clover in planted flower boxes, this plant can easily overtake your lawn. The flower of this weed will be pink in the center with white crescent-shaped petals.
- Dollarweed: Also known as pennywort, this weed gets its name because its leaves are the shape of a silver dollar. Dollarweed growing in your lawn is often a sign that youre watering too much, as these weeds thrive in wet environments.
Read Also: How Long Are Roofing Nails
