Reduce The Amount Of Shade In Your Yard
Use A Commercial Fungicide To Kill Fungus
You can use store-bought fungicide or a natural fungicide. Store-bought options come in two styles contact and systemic.
Contact fungicide is a liquid that coats the blades of grass and kills fungus on contact. Systemic fungicide typically comes in small granules that you spread across the soil.
Many fungicides are designed as all-purpose fungus killers while others are designed to target specific types of fungi. Always read the label to ensure that the product can treat your problem.
Continue To Monitor For Fungal Diseases
After treating the problem, continue to monitor your turf for signs of fungal infections. Some fungal diseases are seasonal and may return the following year, requiring you to repeat the treatment. In the meantime, maintain correct mowing techniques.
If possible, collect grass clippings as you mow. Collecting clippings minimises the spread of fungal diseases, as most types of fungi are easily distributed throughout a lawn. Avoiding excess foot traffic also cuts down on the spread of fungal diseases.
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Other Features To Keep In Mind
While Zoysia patch looks and acts similar to other fungus-based ailments, it behaves a bit differently in some ways.
For one thing, it is most likely to take hold in the cool weather of early spring or late fall here in North Texas. Our extensive list of common North Texas Lawn Diseases illustrates how many of them thrive in either hot or cold temperatures. But this one is most likely to set in when the temperature is mild.
The other reason this disease is likely to set in during cooler weather is because partially dormant grass is more susceptible to its particular infection process. Zoysia grass that is either beginning to go dormant, or has not yet fully transitioned into active growth, are most likely to be affected. And of course these states of partial growth are most common as the seasons change and the soil is moderately cool.
Another distinguishing factor found in Zoysia patch is that it does not actually affect your grass beds root system. This is a good thing because it means that previously diseased portions of your lawn have a chance to fully recover. However, the recovery process can take several weeks to multiple months, even after the fungi has been eliminated.
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Fertilization Of Zoysia Lawns
In comparison with other warm-season grasses, Zoysia is not especially needy when it comes to nutrients. Plan to provide about one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet every four weeks between May and August for your established Zoysia lawn. Starting your fertilizing program in late spring is best if you begin too early, you may have a weed control problem on your hands soon after. By early fall, at the end of the growing season, you can cease fertilizing Zoysia grass as it moves into its dormancy period and is no longer actively growing.
If youre just planting Zoysia grass, you should perform a soil test to see if you need soil amendments. You can purchase a soil test at your local garden center or online. When trying to establish your Zoysia grass, you may want to increase your fertilization to roughly two pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Soil testing will alert you if other nutrients are missing. A Zoysiagrass lawn prefers slightly acidic soil.
Abc Can Repair And Maintain Your Zoysia Grass
Diagnosing problems with your zoysia grass is difficult. Then, theres the added difficulty of figuring out the best way to treat the problem. Instead of playing a guessing game with your grass, contact ABC Home & Commercial Services. Our lawn care professionals can diagnose what is wrong with your lawn and then come up with a lawn care plan to keep your grass healthy and green.
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What Does It Do To My Lawn
The diseased areas affected by Zoysia Patch can be as small as 6 or as large as 20 in diameter. The patches often have an orange ring when the fungus is active and spreading. The grass leaves in the infected area will turn yellow or brown and start to wilt. Once this nuisance disease begins to cause extensive damage to your lawn, the affected areas often have a sunken look in the center.
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Water Your Lawn In The Morning
Lawn Fungus And Disease Control
Zoysia grass is highly disease resistant, but its not immune. The key to maintaining healthy Zoysiagrass lawns is to treat disease as soon as possible to prevent its spread. Proper maintenance of your Zoysia grass will reduce the risk of disease. However, if you notice brown spots or other signs of a fungus infection, you should apply a fungicide treatment. Brown patch, dollar spot, and rust are not unknown problems for Zoysia grass, but with proper and early disease control methods, you can prevent these diseases from spreading across your entire lawn.
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Rust Fungus In Zoysia
The Puccinia fungus that causes rust fungus in zoysia grass is a disorder most common in early spring and peaks again in the summer. It can be particularly hard on lawns that are stressed by drought or do not have adequate nutrients or nitrogen in the soil. Yellow spots appear on the leaves, followed several days later by raised yellowish-orange blisters of fungal growth. The leaves become discolored and wilt.
Severely infected lawns may look orange or yellow in color because of the number of fungal spore masses. Treat rust by adjusting the soil nutrient and pH levels, and mow often until the outbreak slows or stops.
What You Need To Know About Zoysia Grass
Zoysia grass is native to Asia and Australia, but its been in the United States since at least 1895, when Americans first became invested in their lawns.
As you can probably guess from its native habitat, Zoysia is a warm-season grass, which means that it grows during warm months and lies dormant during cold months. Its also a perennial, which means it comes back every year
There are three main Zoysia species seen in the United States:
They can be distinguished from each other by appearance, aggressiveness, and growth.
Zoysia japonica is the only Zoysia species with seed thats available commercially . It has a light green color and coarse leaves.
Zoysia matrella is often called Manilagrass . It has a finer leaf than Zoysia japonica, but its also less cold-tolerant and grows slower.
Finally, Zoysia tenuifolia is unique because it tends to form small clumps, which makes it appear puffy. Its even less cold-tolerant than Zoysia matrella, so if you live somewhere with four seasons, this may not be the ideal grass for you.
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Common Lawn Fungal Diseases
There are quite a few fungal diseases that can impact lawns, but theyre usually pretty specialized, targeting specific lawn types, at certain times of year, under certain conditions. For example:
- Brown patch strikes during hot, humid weather.
- Fusarium blight prefers hot, drought conditions.
- Dollar spot tends to spring up when nights are cool and dew is heavy.
Before treating your lawn, its important to identify not only whether your lawn indeed has a fungal disease, but to identify the fungus itself.
All fungicides arent the same, and some diseases can be easily treated by making changes in your lawn care.
Knowing your grass type and recent weather conditions can make it easier to narrow down, but you may need help in figuring out exactly whats going on.
Your local cooperative extension center is your best resource for determining which diseases are most common in your area, or you can take a small baggie of the infected grass to your local garden center for help.
Brown Patches In Zoysia Lawns
According to the Missouri Botanical Garden website, the Rhizoctonia solani fungus causes a disorder called large brown patch. Small, rounded spots of discolored, water-soaked grass appear on zoysia lawns. These damaged areas often have a yellowish ring of dying grass around their perimeters. These zoysia grass problem spots coalesce, forming areas of dead grass that can reach diameters greater than 6 feet.
The disorder usually occurs when daytime temperatures are between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels are high and can stop quickly when the temperature and weather conditions change. Watering the grass only once a week and providing adequate drainage helps slow the spread of the disease, because the fungus spreads more quickly in damp conditions.
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Should I Water My Grass If It Has Fungus
It is important to treat the Fungus right away so that it does not spread throughout your lawn. It is recommended that you only water your lawn as much as it needs to be watered. Do not water more than once a week. Do not use chemical sprays or fertilizers to control the fungus.
Instead, use a fungicide such as Fungicide-Free Lawn Fertilizer, which is available at most garden centers and garden supply stores. This product is safe to use on lawns that have been treated with other fungicides, but it may not be effective on grass that is not treated. If you are unsure about the effectiveness of this product, contact your local garden center for more information.
Insect And Disease Control
In general, zoysiagrass has few insect or disease problems. White grubs and billbug are the primary insect problems. Early detection and proper timing of insecticide applications is essential in preventing serious damage.
Zoysiagrass is not especially susceptible to disease, however, some diseases do appear in zoysiagrass lawns. Diseases usually can be avoided through proper cultural practices, especially mowing, fertilizing, watering and thatch control.
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How Do I Make My Zoysia Grass Green
One of the complaints against Zoysia is its tendency to brown during winter. However, once soil temperatures warm up in early spring, your Zoysia grass will begin to green up. Before soil temperatures warm up, however, it may remain dull. Proper care allows maintaining the grasss green hue in places that dont experience freezing or extremely cold winter temperatures.
Brown Patch Disease Of Lawns Introduction
The beauty of a lawn can be quickly destroyed by brown patch , a serious fungal disease that can affect all South Texas lawn grasses. It can develop rapidly when temperatures are warm and humid, especially during warmer periods of the fall and winter months. Warm-season grasses such as St. Augustine , Bermuda, and Zoysia are most commonly affected by brown patch during the early spring and late fall.
SymptomsSymptoms of brown patch may vary greatly with the type of grass and soil conditions. The disease usually causes thinned patches of light brown grass that are roughly circular in shape. These areas range in diameter from a few inches to several feet. Often the center of the patch will recover, resulting in a doughnut-shaped pattern.
When disease conditions are favorable, large areas of the lawn may be uniformly thinned and eventually killed with no circular patch being evident. This type of pattern is commonly seen on infected St. Augustine grass grown in shady, moist locations.
Close inspection of grass blades reveals small, irregular, tan leaf spots with dark-brown borders in combination of rotted leaf sheaths near the soil surface.
Prevention and TreatmentThe best way to prevent brown patch in the home lawn is by following good lawn care practices. This is much easier and less expensive than the use of fungicides and can be very effective.
Table 1. Chemicals for Control of Brown Patch
| Fungicides |
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Conditions Favoring Rhizoctonia Large Patch R Solani Large Patch
is a strong saprophyte, meaning it is able to survive for extended periods of time in the absence of living host plants by feeding on decaying organic matter. When conditions are not favorable for growth, the fungus persists in the thatch layer and soil. When a host plant is present and environmental conditions are favorable, the fungus begins to colonize the surface of the potential host plant .
Infection of the lower leaf sheaths by R. solani occurs whenever the temperature of the thatch layer is between 50 and 70 °F, and continuous moisture is available for at least 48 hr. Because warm season grasses are not growing vigorously during the spring and fall, they are highly susceptible to pathogen attack. Patches may also develop in the summer during periods of cool weather, especially in wet or shaded sites . Excessive moisture levels in the soil, thatch, and lower turf canopy encourage the development of large patch. Poor drainage, shade, restricted air movement, or excessive irrigation increase the severity of this disease.
So What Does Zoysia Patch Look Like
Zoysia patch creates diseased patches that often have a fiery orange outline when the infection is actively spreading. They can grow from 6 inches across, to as broad as 20 feet!
Like many fungal diseases, the inner grass blades will turn yellow or brownish and begin to wilt. Zoysia patch often has a sunken look in the center, once the infection has had a chance to do extensive damage to your turf.
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Powdery Mildew In Lawns
The Erysiphe graminis fungus that causes powdery mildew initially appears as small powdery-white patches on the upper surfaces of leaves but quickly spreads to cover entire leaves of grass. The tissue below the fungal growth turns yellow and dies. This disorder occurs most often during periods of high humidity and can be especially problematic if the grass does not receive adequate air circulation. Prune overhanging trees and shrubs to increase exposure to air and sunlight, and space plants so that air can circulate.
How To Repair Zoysia Grass
If your zoysia grass has turned brown, you dont need to panic right away. This is a relatively resilient type of grass, so its possible that your lawn has gone dormant instead of completely dying off.
Typically, the best way to repair zoysia grass is by putting it on a good lawn care schedule. This may include:
- Mowing weekly and cutting it at a one to two-inch height. When mowing, never cut more than a third off the top of the grass blades.
- Giving your lawn half an inch to an inch of water a week, unless there is rainfall.
- Aerating the lawn in the spring to help nutrients and water reach the roots.
- Dethatching on a periodic basis.
- Fertilizing with half a pound to a pound of nitrogen fertilizer per every 1,000 square feet at a time, taking care not to apply more than three pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet every year.
Typically, its helpful to identify the problem before trying to rehabilitate your grass. Since many different zoysia grass issues can look alike, its often difficult for homeowners to diagnose and treat lawn issues on their own. Because of this, the easiest way to fix grass and prevent future problems is to hire a lawn care professional.
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