Disease Control

This is the one of the most critical elements of our program. For this reason we automatically add a fungicide to our applications from May 1st through August at a "preventative rate" to prevent fungal diseases such as brown patch and Pythium blight. These diseases can ravage your lawn in just a few days. The fungi love two elements, heat above 70 degrees and water. Since we have such hot summers with many days in the 90's and we must irrigate to keep the lawn from going dormant, a fungicide becomes a necessity. Your application rate will increase slightly about 12% for the addition of the preventative fungicide. In most cases this will take care of the disease problem. However some lawns are more susceptible to brown patch than others and will require a straight fungicide application at a "curative rate." These applications will run about 1.5 times your regular application rate. Please note that these will be in place of a regular application not in addition to a regular application. Whether preventative or curative these applications are necessary for your lawn to survive the the most critical months of the year.

Watering

In the hot summer be sure to water in the morning and if it is hot, cycle the system through a couple of times to water your lawn deeply. This will increase the depth of the roots and allow the lawn to dry out during the day. A lawn that stays damp for several hours because of several watering times during the day is very susceptible to disease.

Mowing

Mowing opens up the turf plant and gives the fungus an entry. We use fertilizers to slow the top growth in the summer and if you will mow a little less frequently you will have less chance of disease. Also use sharp blades.

Call Immediately if you see or suspect disease on your lawn.