Do I have Grub Damage in my Lawn
this summer?
We receive many calls this time of
year (mid-summer) for curing brown spots in the lawn. Many homeowners
assume that the brown spots are a result of grub damage. However,
this
is not the case as grub damage will
not show up for another several weeks after the eggs hatch and begin feeding on
grass roots in August and September. The brown spots are more commonly a
result of heat stress on the lawn which often results in additional damage form
diseases and insects in the lawn as the grass slows down growth due to the
higher soil temperatures and less frequent heavy rainfall.
Most lawns across the Northern
Illinois area are suffering from heat related stresses this summer. With
more sunny days above 80 degrees in June and early July, soil temperatures jumped
quickly resulting in stressed out lawns by mid-July. Once a lawn begins
to weaken or go dormant the disease and insects can quickly take over.
Grass blades stop growing and turn brown to save moisture loss for cool season
grasses like fescues, ryegrass, and bluegrasses. Once this process starts
it takes a few weeks of cooler cloudy days and nearly 2 inches of irrigation or
rainfall to correct.
Watering will help deter the onset
of dormancy as once the plant begins going dormant it only takes a few days to
set in. Keeping an eye on the weather and forecast will often help plan
for proper irrigation needs. Once the temperature breaks 80 degrees with
3 days of dry and sunny weather the lawn begins struggling to maintain adequate
moisture levels. If watering begins in this early stage of dormancy the
grass can maintain a greener color through the stressful period. Also,
different grasses react at different temperatures and moisture levels as
well. Lawn Doctor has been providing a new service this summer called HydraGuard
to help lawns maintain moisture in their root systems. This service
consists of an organic humic nutrient spray to the lawn which attaches to the
roots of the lawn and draws moisture to the root hairs from air and soil
humidity. This process helps lawns prevent the early stage of dormancy
and give more time to begin watering once the temperatures and weather begin
slowing plant growth.
Grubs are turf damaging insects that
begin hatching from eggs left behind in the lawn from many types of
beetles. June beetles, Japanese beetles and masked chafers are most common
beetles in the local area leaving behind eggs in the lawn during the month of
July. The thousands of hatching eggs then chew on grass roots resulting
in extensive damage to the lawn. This will result in large dead turf
areas that can easily be picked up like sod from the lawn in late August
through early October. In severe cases grubs can devour thousands of
square feet of lush green lawn in just a couple of weeks.
For more watering and mowing suggestions please visit us online or feel free to contact us at Lawn Doctor of Antioch-Waukegan
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