Treating Turf Grass Diseases

Turf grass is any species of grass that is designed for certain sports arenas and residential lawns and is prized for its luxurious carpet. In many landscaping designs, if planted properly, it can help to prevent erosion and flooding during heavy rains. Keeping this type of grass healthy does have its challenges because it is susceptible to pests, soil problems that can cause lawn death or brown spots, and other diseases. To help prevent your turf grass from developing major disease and pest problems you will need to do turf application treatments such as fertilization, aeration, and appropriate watering. You will also need to mow it regularly.

Pests

• Cinch bugs—you can get rid of them by vacuuming the area of the turf grass where you see them with a shop vac and when done you should empty it into a bucket of soapy water to kill the bugs. You can also scatter birdseed in the area so the birds can eat the bugs.
• Grubs—most of the time you will need to use chemical applications to get rid of grubs. Talk to your local lawn service for their recommendations.
• Sod webworms—you can get rid of this lawn pest by using a soap drench, which is two tablespoons of liquid soap per one gallon of water. After watering your lawn, they will come to the surface of your lawn. Rake them up and destroy them. You can also use a natural pesticide called Safer Insecticidal Soap.

Diseases

• Brown patch—this is a common disease that happens during the summer months where there is excess humidity and high temperatures. It is a fungus that attacks the stems and leaves of the turf grass. To help control it from spreading you need to remove the accumulation of dew on the grass. You should also reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers. After you see signs of this disease, you should immediately use fungicidal sprays.
• Basal rot and foliar blight—these are caused by a fungal pathogen that attacks the stem and foliage of most species of turf grass. If you see irregular brown or yellow patches on your lawn this may be the disease that is causing it. You mostly see it in extreme hot and cold temperatures. In the early stages, it can be controlled with good soil, fertilization, and proper irrigation. There are also fungicidal sprays to kill the pathogens and prevent it from spreading.
• Dollar spot—this is also caused by a fungus and occurs during late fall or late spring. It can be cause by a low nitrogen level in the soil and high humidity plus other causes. To help prevent and control this disease you need to remove the morning dew, avoid moisture stress, and maintain optimum nitrogen level in the ground. If you have a low nitrogen level, you can lightly spray your lawn with nitrogen fertilizer. You can also spray your turf grass with fungicidal sprays.

If you have any questions or need treatment, you can contact your lawn service for turf grass lawn treatments.