How To Plant Grass Seed In Bare Spots
Perhaps you are already familiar with how to seed your lawn. However, reseeding dead spots in a lawn calls for added attention to detail. We have outlined the steps on how to plant grass seed in bare spots for your next lawn repair.
- Remove Debris
Before you start seeding the brown patch, remove any leaves or debris from the area to avoid damage. This removes any obstacles in distributing the seeds evenly among the dead grass. If the brown patch in your lawn was caused by urine or chemical spills, thoroughly rinse the area several times before reseeding to dilute any harmful chemicals.
- Break up the Soil
Refresh the soil of the brown patch by taking a rake or a garden cultivator to till the ground in your summer yard. This will help ensure that the soil is loose and ready to take in the new seed.
- Add Compost
Using compost is a great way to add nutrients back into the soil. Add a 2 to 3-inch layer of compost or loamy soil and use the rake again to mix it with the existing soil.
- Even out the Surface
Use the top of the rake to make a flat and even surface to start sprinkling the grass seed.
Evenly distribute a thin layer of grass seed over your brown patch.
- Protect the Seeds
If you choose to sprinkle the seed on top without pre-mixing it in the soil, place a thin layer of straw over the area to prevent birds from eating the seeds. Once the grass starts to bud, remove the straw.
- Keep the Area Lightly Watered
- Lightly Fertilize
- Wait to Mow
- Monitor the Area
What Is The Mowing And Watering Frequency To Prevent Brown Patch On Lawn
Brown patch fungus is a common problem on lawns. It can be caused by a number of factors, but the main one is overwatering. Brown patch fungus grows best in moist, warm soil. Moisture and warmth are provided by frequent mowing and watering. To prevent brown patch fungus from growing, follow these guidelines:
- Mow your lawn only once per week. Mowing is good for soil monitoring which is fine method to deal ith brown patches.
- Only water your lawn when it is really dry. Spreading water around when it is wet will only Cause runoff that can carry pollutants and fertilizer into waterways and contaminate them with brown patch fungus.
What Is Brown Patch
Brown patch is a soil-living fungus which becomes active in humid months where temperatures reach the mid 80s during the day, and mid to upper 70s overnight.
Like the name would lead you to believe, brown patch causes a brownish discoloration of your turfgrass. More specifically, it starts out with lesions on the grass blades .
As brown patch develops, these lesions spread to cover the entire grass blade, causing thinning and matting of the turf. On shorter lawns, these patches may appear to have a “smoke ring” of dark gray around the outer edge.
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If The Cause Is: Grubs
Grubs cause brown patches in your yard where they munch on grass roots. This kills your grass in the process. To identify a grub issue, dig up a patch of grass and looking at the roots. If you find grubs, treatment will be necessary to restore your yard to health. We recommend calling in a professional, like Green Lawn Fertilizing.
How To Spot The Fungus
The funny thing about brown patch is that it doesnt start out brown at all. In fact, the first signs of trouble are when a circular or oblong pattern of light-yellow discoloration appears in your grass. Eventually, the affected area will turn from orange to tan. It will continue to spread outward, sometimes leaving small green patches at the center. The discoloration is caused when the fungus infects each leaf, causing them to rot.
Brown patch fungus can affect all cool-season grasses, but it is especially harmful to ryegrass and tall fescue. Brown patch also affects a variety of warm-season grasses, including St. Augustine grass, Bermuda, and zoysiagrass.
One of the most frustrating aspects of brown patch is that once you spot it, the damage is already done and the fungus is thriving. The trick to successfully eradicating brown patch is understanding the fungus lives beyond where the eye can see, in your soil. When the conditions are right, the fungus strikes, making preventive measures all the more important.
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Other Reasons Your Grass Is Turning Brown And Dying
- Your lawn may have buried debris thats causing problems.
- Sloping yards could have an erosion issue. Ground covers are a great way to reduce erosion on slopes. Succulents make pretty, easy-to-care for ground covers.
- Tree roots make growing grass tough but you can do it when you use shade-tolerant grasses within your climate zone.
- Different areas of your lawn require different care, and thats especially true of sunny spots. If your grass is turning brown, it could be because its not getting enough water. Lawns typically need an inch of water a week to stay healthy. Picking the right sprinkler for spots in your yard is one of the best ways to keep it healthy.
- If different spots of your yard turned brown, you may just have a mix of grasses. Some grasses will go dormant while others will continue to grow.
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How To Prevent And Get Rid Of Brown Patch Lawn Disease
The fungus that causes Brown Patch lawn disease is present in many areas. Disease prevention is very difficult if the grass species is susceptible.
Proper watering in the early morning though mid-day to prevent wet grass at night may be of some, though limited, benefit. Proper mowing on a frequent basis to promote air movement and drying of the leaf blades may be of more benefit when preventing and battling Brown Patch.
More tips for treating brown patch:
- Use moderate amounts of nitrogen fertilizer.
- Fungicides can be effective if applied before the onset of the disease
- Dont over- or under-fertilize your turf, as that can encourage Brown Patch.
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When Should You Treat Brown Patch
So, based on how fungus tends to disappear on its own, you might be wondering when you should go ahead and treat it.
The truth is, if you see that its not going away on its own, then its best to move in for the kill before it starts to spread.
Brown patch can cause damage to grass types such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue.
It makes the grass grow in an unhealthy way because of how the fungus is consuming it.
In addition to the damage it can cause, the brown fungus can be a sore thumb when you look at your otherwise beautiful garden, which is why you dont have to wait for it to go away on its own.
However, since it will tend to disappear in the same way that it came, you dont have to resort to products such as chemical fungicides to send it packing.
Its actually better to avoid these products altogether, as they can be damaging to your health as well as the environment.
As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports, these chemicals can actually stay active in the environment for long periods of time during which they harm the water and soil.
What Are Brown Patches In Lawns
Brown patch is actually caused by a fungus called Rhizoctonia. This tough fungus will lay dormant over the Summer, then spring into action once temperatures start to reach around 70°F, and is at its most potent when temperatures range from 8085°F. It often pops up right after heavy rain events and cloudy days.
In the very early stages of fungal development, the grass will look wilted and wet, and the grass edges may look wavy. This stage doesnt last long, though, and soon it will turn into a brown patch that gets matted and sunken into the ground. Brown patch spreads outward quite fast from a central point, so as soon as you start to see brown circular patches popping up in your grass, its time to get to work. You may often notice a rusty orange ring around the patches, or spots where two patches meet and form an irregular shape.
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What Fungus Causes These Brown Patches In Grass
Before we can start treating the brown patches caused by a fungus, we need to know what type of fungus is actually the culprit.
There are millions of fungi species, after all!
But, a fungus thats known as Rhizoctonia is whats causing those brown patches to occur on your lawn.
This type of fungus tends to strike when the temperatures are really hot and humid.
This fungus is quite sneaky because it manages to survive in the thatch of grass during the colder temperatures in winter, and then it penetrates the grasss leaf tissues through cuts that are caused to the grass, such as when it gets mowed.
Your grass might not immediately show signs of fungal infection until the temperature gets hot and then youll be able to see the symptoms start to appear.
Rhizoctonia is said to target lawns, but it can also affect plants.
If you see any black or brown spots at the base of the plant stems near the soil line, then it has been infected with this fungus.
If left untreated, these marks can grow and the fungus will end up obstructing the plants uptake of nutrients and water from the soil, leaving it to die.
You can also spot Rhizoctonia on fruit plants, and if their leaves or fruit are close to the soil where they often get splashed with water, such as during watering sessions, this can cause the fungus to form and spread, Greenhouse Grower explains.
The problem with these brown fungal patches in your grass is that they spread really quickly.
Here are some ways to do so.
Keep It Under Control
The good news is that your turf can recover from brown patch. The bad news? You may have to wait until the active growing season to see an improvement in appearance. While a fungicide application can help prevent spread to other areas, spots that have rotted will need to regrow.
Meanwhile, steps should be taken to ensure youre not transferring the fungus to healthy parts of your lawn. Affected areas should not be mowed, as that could cause diseased clippings to deposit elsewhere, spreading the infection. You should also avoid walking over the area so your shoes dont transport the spores. Finally, its important to not apply fertilizer during an outbreak. Sure, youll feed your lawn, but youll also feed the fungus, too.
Because brown or yellow spots can be the result of a number of causes, its important to have your lawn assessed by an experienced landscape professional. If brown patch is confirmed, proper treatment is critical. Self-diagnosis and treatment could make the problem worse. Our teams are experienced in treating brown patch, and can help make the process stress-free. Request a free quote or give us a call at .
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An Ounce Of Prevention
1. Soak your pets favorite areas in your lawn to remove salts from the root zone before they kill the grass.
2. Fertilize your lawn in the spring to boost the overall color and mask the darker green dog spots.
3. Train your pet to urinate in a designated area. Replace or repair the grass in this area annually or cover it with mulch.
4. Keep your pet well hydrated to make its urine less concentrated.
Dow Agrosciences Best Liquid Lawn Fungicide For Brown Patch
This effective fungicide is made with Myclobutanil as the active ingredient to combat the effects of fungal attacks on plants. It destroys existing fungi on the sod and prevents it from occurring again. It has power over 15+ fungal diseases, which cover leaf spot, anthracnose, spring dead spot, brown patch, and zonate leaf spot). Moreover, Dow AgroSciences is compatible with all grass types making it universal hence its trait. This liquid formulation is easy to mix and is applied on a seven to fourteen days schedule.
Optimal results are achieved when applied as a preventive measure rather than curing an already diseased turf. This enhances good sod practices and keeps them healthy and nourished for long. It can be used on commercial and social landscapes to prevent fungal diseases like dollar spot and brown patch. Activities on the lawn should be suspended for approximately 24 hours after application.
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How To Identify Brown Patch
If your lawn has begun to yellow rapidly, take a closer look at the size and shape of the affected areas. With brown patch, they are likely to be roughly circular, though a bit irregular. Patch sizes can range from a few inches to several feet in diameter. If brown patch has been active for a while, the spots might also look like patches of good grass with rings of dead or thin grass around them.
Besides yellow, do you notice any other colors in the patchy areas? Brown patch patches can be darker purple or burgundy on the outside, for example. Other signs include irregular tan spots bordered by a darker outline on grass blades, brown and shriveled blades, rotting at the base of the blades, darker blades that look water-soaked, and possibly white, cobweb-like growth around the blades .
How To Identify Control And Prevent Brown Patch
In summer, your lawn serves as the welcome mat for pool parties, barbecues and Fourth of July celebrations.
But the seasonal heat can bring unwelcome, uninvited visitors, too: brown patch and other summer fungus lawn diseases.
I kind of jokingly tell people when you wake up in the morning and go out, and all you hear is the hum of you neighbors air conditioning, its already hot and humid, thats perfect brown patch weather, says Dennis Patton. Hes the ornamentals, turf and extension master gardeners agent for the Kansas State Extension in Johnson County, where brown patch is a common headache.
If youve seen those tell-tale brown splotches or signs of other lawn diseases appearing across your yard, heres how to stop brown patch in its tracks to get your home lawn back to its green best, and how to make fungicide a part of your lawn care arsenal so it doesnt crop back up next year.
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Professional Services To Save You Time
With so many tasks requiring your attention every day, giving your lawn the special care it needs can be a challenge in every season. Because we know how busy you are, we offer professional lawn care in Dallas that take care of everything, including the control of diseases like brown patch on your lawn.
Dont let the hot Texas climate damage your lawn, when the professionals at Gecko Green can keep your grass healthy and vibrant with our year-round services!
Where Will You Typically Find Brown Patch
In addition to those conditions that cause brown patch lawn disease to appear, there are also some areas that tend to be more sensitive to its spread. Poor air flow will exacerbate high temperatures and humidity. For instance, if your property is surrounded by woods or if you have a fenced-in yard — any areas where there is a break in air circulation — youll likely find more brown patch in these spots. Periods of rainy weather during humid days can also promote the appearance of brown patch. Things that accelerate this include poor soil drainage, compact soils, excessive thatch, and poorly maintained lawns.
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What Time Is It Time To Get A Watch Or At Least A Water Timer Dont 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.
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Can My Lawn Grow Back After Brown Patch Pythium Blight Or Dollar Spot
The only way the grass can recover from dollar spot and brown patch damage is for the grass to grow enough that the damaged blades are pushed up and mowed off, revealing new and undamaged blades below. Tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass grass types grow more slowly as temperatures rise so it would take weeks or months for the grass to recover. And, it may require fall seeding to get the lawn back into shape. Thats why preventing damage before disease development is so important.
The best products for preventing and controlling lawn fungus are very expensive. Understanding turf diseases, their control, and when and how to apply them is very important. To get help with your lawn and protect it from fungus, request an estimate for disease control from a professional lawn care service.
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Eliminating Brown Patches In Your Lawn
While in the garden on the weekend, you notice a few brown patches on your lawn. Youre sure that those werent there last week. What could be the problem?
Apart from being unsightly, brown patches are indicative of a larger problem at hand. When you notice these on your lawn, it is highly recommended that you identify the underlying cause in order to enforce the appropriate solution.
Listed here are a few common causes and solutions
Brown patch lawn disease
This lawn disease is characterised by the round, dying areas in lawns. You will notice round patches measuring between 20 cm to a metre that are enclosed by a darker colour.
Typically, this disease infects lawns with poor lawn health. You will see this problem affect lawns during spring.
The disease is caused by microorganisms that are brought to the lawn by external sources like the shoes of visitors, pets, or even borrowed lawn mowers.
Solution
This problem entails a multi-pronged approach. For starters, you will need to identify the pathogen that is causing the disease and find the appropriate fungicide that will eliminate it.
Next, you will need to change your lawn care practices. That will include: reducing watering and doing it early in the morning removing thatch aerating the lawn, and ensuring that the lawn gets ample sunlight.
Dollar spots
Dollar spots refer to small circular yellowish or brownish spots on the surface of the lawn, typically about the size of a dollar in diameter.
Solution
