Lawn disease lookout!

Every summer is uniquely different in the Midwest and this one is turning out to be no different.  After the hottest and one of the driest summers in 2012 the summer of 2013 is on pace to be one of the wettest and below normal for temperatures.  Although this sounds great for the lawn care industry it can bring along a lot of issues that would otherwise be missed.  Heavy rains for several days can bring monthly rain totals up on paper but aren't necessarily good for the turf.  Extended times of wet leaf tissue from overnight rains and high humidity can also bring very serious disease issues to the surface over night.

 A lawn that was showing early signs of leaf spot diseases from the high humidity.

The disease issues that we have seen in Lake county so far this summer include read thread, leaf spot, melting out and even a rare instance of pythium blight.  They usually develop as small irregular spots that can expand to include several square feet within 24 to 48 hours.  The symptoms can be very similar to heat or drought stress, insect damage or chemical burns.  We ask all customers and homeowners to keep a close eye on their lawns to identify these issues as soon as possible to avoid serious cases of out of control lawn damage.  Most of the lawn diseases like red thread and leaf spots are mild and will only affect the leaf tissue for several weeks during high moisture and humidity if left untreated.  However, patch diseases and pythium can kill the turf down to the roots if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

Red thread on bluegrass lawn

Severe pythium blight in bluegrass lawn left undetected for 48 hours

Summer can be a great time of year to enjoy the benefits of a well-maintained lawn.  However, the months of July and August can bring a lot of stress to the lawn with high temperatures, wet evenings and high humidity.  Keep a close eye on the lawn to make sure it isn't being attacked by a severe disease that can turn a beautiful lawn ugly very quickly.  If you have any other lawn issues or are seeing early signs of lawn disease call the Lawn Doctor immediately and we can do an on-site evaluation to prevent summer turf damage to your lawn.  

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