Green Leaves
Lawn Disease
Lawn Disease
Rust
Have you noticed
rust coloured powder or dust on your shoes after walking on the lawn?
Are the leaves
of the turf reddish or light orange in colour?
Have you noticed
it mainly in the summer or early winter?
If you can answer
'yes' to the above, then you probably have rust disease. Rust Diseases
in turf grasses, are some of the oldest diseases known to attack turfed
lawns. They can only attack live grass, and are more than capable of killing
the leaves, but not normally the whole plant. The fungi that cause rust
disease cannot grow in your soil. They are simply pathogens. For the rust
disease to develop in your lawn, the weather must be wet and warm, and
the grass must be slightly under fertilised. Rust only attacks the leaf
of the turf.
You may notice the rust coloured leaves, may develop some black deposit powder on the surface in late autumn. This is the same fungus, but is preparing for winter.
You may notice the rust coloured leaves, may develop some black deposit powder on the surface in late autumn. This is the same fungus, but is preparing for winter.
To control Rust:
Turf needs to be
fertilised with a good quality feed
Lawns should be
cut properly (ask me for advise)
Lawns need to be
well aired and have reasonable drainage
Fungicide applications
can be applied
Red
Thread
A fungus that lives
in the turf causes Red Thread disease. Most turf has fungus of some kind
in it, but normally you do not see the fungus or disease that it causes.
During conditions of high humidity or wet periods, red thread may appear.
In the beginning, you may notice small patches of grass leaves turning
brown or pinkish in colour, starting to die. A few days later, on closer
examination, you may notice red, thin threads in the pink patches. This
is in fact the fungus, which can be spread by your lawn mower. Turf containing
rye grass can be more susceptible, but it can be found on all species
of turf grass in the U.K. Red thread in a lawn should be checked and treated
before it becomes a major problem, and starts killing patches of turf.
To control Red Thread:
Turf needs to be
fertilised properly throughout the season, with a quality balanced feed,
and not pure nitrogen.
If used repeatedly
on a lawn, feeds containing high nitrogen content will cause a slight
addiction problem to the grass. Red Thread Disease can be grown out
with higher nitrogen feeds in some instances, but not if it is continually
being fed with it anyway. This is similar to the problem with over-use
of antibiotics from your doctor. Eventually, you become immune to the
effects of them and they become useless. Too much use of very high nitrogen
feeds can do more harm than good. (See Fertiliser Knowledge)
Fungicides can
be used to destroy this fungus.
Mow your lawns
properly.
Fusarium Patch
Disease
This is identified
as yellow to brown areas of turf. It is mainly found in autumn, but can
also be found at other times of the year. You may notice a whitish coloured
mould that develops on the affected. To confirm that you have infected
turf areas, cover the areas with a dark cloth or bag, and inspect the
following day, and you can normally spot the growth of mould.
The incubation period
for this disease is very short, and turf can become infected with most
lawn diseases very quickly. Lawn Master checks for any signs of disease
at every visit we make, and we may alter your feed, dependent on what
we find in your lawn.
To control Fusarium
Patch:
Turf will need
to be fed with a quality, balanced feed. Trace elements are also recommended.
High nitrogen feeds
cause problems if they are used too late into autumn. Make sure your
lawns are not over-fed with polymer-coated feeds in late summer. These
feeds have unpredictable time-release scales, and can and often do,
release well into autumn, releasing higher levels of nitrogen.
Make sure the soil
is well aerated.
Fungicide applications
can be applied.
Mow your lawns
properly.
Brown
patches
Brown patches in turf
can be caused by a variety of problems, from foliar pathogens, fungi that
attack the turf, to dry patch in the sub-surface soil layers. While I
can identify the particular fungus that is attacking the grass, it is
not normally necessary for the purpose of control. Foliar fungi attack
virtually every turf grass grown in the U.K., and they are very common.
All of these disease problems can be cured in your turf, but prevention
is better than cure.
To Control Foliar
Problems
Mow your lawns
properly. Do not let your grass grow too tall, as this holds more moisture,
and disease grows in overly wet lawns.
Fertilise your
lawn with balanced regular feeds.
Make sure your
lawn drains well. Your lawn should be puddle free, 45 minutes after
a heavy shower. If it isn't, aerate the lawn to relieve compaction.
Keep your lawn
well aerated, at least once a year.
Application of
fungicide.
Colour
In Turf
In general, turf should
be green. Shades of green will vary because of the different species of
grass in the make up of the turf. By regular feeding of the lawn, the
variance in colour can be reduced significantly. It is important to understand
that your lawn is dynamic and is constantly changing. Each change in the
turf is indicating a change in the environment and conditions. Most changes
that the turf makes are harmless. However, other changes are a sign of
danger for the plant, for example patches of dry and yellow colour indicate
a problem with lack of water etc.
On each visit I will
become familiar with your lawn, and the way it uniquely responds to some
products and feeds that we use. We also keep a record of what products
have been used, as we alter the feed applications from one lawn to another.
We do not use the same feed on every lawn.
What
do different colours mean?
Deep Green
Chlorophyll in the leaf reflects a green colour. Normally, the darker the colour, the more nitrogen, iron or magnesium is present.
Chlorophyll in the leaf reflects a green colour. Normally, the darker the colour, the more nitrogen, iron or magnesium is present.
Yellowing
Carotenoids are pigments that reflect yellow colours. Although they are always present in the leaf, you normally only notice when there is a deficiency
Carotenoids are pigments that reflect yellow colours. Although they are always present in the leaf, you normally only notice when there is a deficiency
Red
Anthocyannins are natural pigments in the grass leaf, and reflect red and blues. This is usually a problem when the chlorophyll content is low. If you can spot red tinges to the leaf, it may also be a disease problem.
Anthocyannins are natural pigments in the grass leaf, and reflect red and blues. This is usually a problem when the chlorophyll content is low. If you can spot red tinges to the leaf, it may also be a disease problem.
Stress
Stress from any disease can also cause higher levels of pigment in the grass.
Stress from any disease can also cause higher levels of pigment in the grass.
Orange
Pigment that reflects orange colours is usually a disease problem such as Rust or Fungi. If you notice an orange colour in your lawn, please call Lawn Doctor to investigate it before the problem gets any worse.
Pigment that reflects orange colours is usually a disease problem such as Rust or Fungi. If you notice an orange colour in your lawn, please call Lawn Doctor to investigate it before the problem gets any worse.
Tan or Brown
Straw-coloured blades of grass are normally dead areas. Your lawn may from time to time have some slight areas of light brown coloured strands of grass. However, if you notice a large area of turf turning tan or brown in colour, there is usually a cause.
Straw-coloured blades of grass are normally dead areas. Your lawn may from time to time have some slight areas of light brown coloured strands of grass. However, if you notice a large area of turf turning tan or brown in colour, there is usually a cause.
