New Jersey Lawn Care | Tree & Shrub Care | Tick Control | Fairway Green

DISEASES

ASCHOCHYTA LEAF BLIGHT
(SPRING SEASON)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Uniform blighting of turf. Leaves appear white from the tip down and shrivel in. Since Aschochyta enters grass through wounds, infection is most severe just after the grass is mowed. Your mower wheels very frequently spread this fungus to other parts of the lawn, many times causing blighting in a pattern where the tires traveled.

TREATMENT

Avoid frequent mowing, raise the cutting height, and use a "sharp" mower blade. Fungicides are rarely warranted since affected turf typically recovers with proper maintenance.
A few weeks of heavily watering the affected area is the key to turf recovery. Water as deeply and infrequently as possible, without causing moisture stress.
Water in early morning hours.

BROWN PATCH
(LATE SPRING & SUMMER SEASON)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Infections are triggered when highs are warm, winds are calm, and the air is filled with humidity. Grass retains its original shape and takes on a dull tan to light brown dried out appearance.
Initial infection starts as a circular pattern. As the disease progresses, the affected areas may grow to several feet in diameter. The spread of the disease is very fast. During active stages disease can be carried to new areas by lawn mowers and foot traffic.

TREATMENT

Water deeply and infrequently to promote growth into the lawn.
Apply fungicide if recommended.
Maintain an adequate and balanced fertilization program.

DOLLAR SPOT
(LATE SPRING & FALL SEASON)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Small, circular, straw-colored patches the size of a silver dollar. Straw colored patches are larger in high cut lawns.
White, cottony fungi are evident in the blighted areas during early morning hours or dew periods.
On the individual blade, you can see an hour-glass shaped, tan colored lesion with brown transition areas.
Dollar Spot is often misdiagnosed. Once the disease becomes established in the lawn it can spread very easily. The disease can be carried by lawn mowers and foot traffic.

TREATMENT

Water deeply and infrequently to promote growth into the lawn.
Fertilize, if recommended, to promote growth.
Mow at recommended mowing heights and when grass is dry (wet grass will spread the disease to other parts of the lawn).
Collect clippings to prevent disease from spreading.
Apply fungicide if recommended.

LEAF SPOT
(EARLY SPRING & LATE FALL)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Reddish brown spots appearing on the leaf blade, resembling a cigarette burn. As spots increase in size and number, the leaf blades begin to yellow.
General thinning of the lawn can occur as well as the possibility of permanent damage.
Once root and crown infections occur, large areas of turf may die called "melting out."

TREATMENT

Apply fungicide if recommended.
Collect clippings to prevent disease from spreading.
Keep mower height at 3".
Remove thatch in the lawn.
Avoid watering after 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon and water deeply and infrequently to avoid drought stress and leaf wetness.

SUMMER PATCH
(SUMMER SEASON)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Circular or crescent-shaped areas of straw colored turf. Sometimes with green centers, that range from 3 to 12 inches.
Drought stress following warm and wet periods, and compacted soil are other factors that enhance summer patch.
Low mowing is the major cultural factor that contributes most to increasing disease severity.

TREATMENT

Apply fungicide if recommended.
Mower height should be maintained at 3" or more to alleviate plant stress.
Water deeply and infrequently.
Aerify regularly to alleviate compaction.
Maintain soil pH.

RED THREAD
(SPRING & EARLY SUMMER)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Red Thread is considered a cosmetic disease. Most cases will not cause permanent damage to your lawn.
Discoloration in circular patterns from 2 inches to several feet in diameter. When moisture is present, leaves have pink or red colored threads on them.
During active stages, Red Thread is carried to new areas by lawn mowers and foot traffic. The wind can also transport it.
The diseased areas will appear hard and crusty, when it is no longer active.

TREATMENT

Water deeply and infrequently to promote growth into the lawn.
Collect clippings to prevent disease from spreading.
Apply fungicide if recommended.
Maintain proper soil pH.

WATERING TIPS

-Quantity -

Your lawn should receive roughly 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water per week during the hottest, driest months.
Deep watering to a soil depth of at least six inches is recommended.
Light waterings (20 min. per zone) that merely dampen the grass are of little benefit.
The best thing to do is water twice a week for half of the time it takes to put down 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water. You should water like a rainstorm, a lot of water at one time. Our estimate is to run your sprinklers 1 hour per zone twice a week, and increase it if needed.

-Best time -

Very early morning watering is ideal. Rutgers University recommends irrigation between Midnight and 6:00 am.
Midday watering, when the weather is hot and dry, can waste water due to excessive evaporation.
Manual watering should be done in the morning, earlier in the day is better.
Evening watering tends to promote disease problems.

MOWING TIPS

Do not bag clippings - Clippings contain essential nutrients which are recycled to the lawn when they decompose. Clippings do not cause thatch as some people might think; they decompose very rapidly. The only time clippings should be removed from a lawn is when a disease problem dictates they be removed for only a few mowings.

Mow high enough - The basic rule is to mow down to the final height of 3 to 3-1/2 inches. Higher mowing promotes deeper roots, prevents water loss by shading the soil, minimizes heat stress, and reduces weeds by preventing sunlight from warming weed seeds.

Mow often enough - Determining when to mow should be based on the growth rate of the grass, not the calendar. Remove only about one-third of the leaf blade each time you mow. Mowing too close removes the green part of the plant.

Keep mower blades sharp - A dull blade rips and shreds the grass instead of cutting it, turning it a bleached tan color, and leaving the whole lawn looking brown. A good guideline for blade sharpening is to sharpen your mower blade once each month. Try it! You'll really notice the difference.

INSECTS

CHURCH BUGS

DESCRIPTION

Adult Chinch Bugs have a black body, white wings with a black spot on each wing, reddish legs and are about 1/4 of an inch long.
Young nymphs range in color from pink to red. Intermediate nymphs are orange/brown to black.

DAMAGE

Chinch Bugs are surface feeding insects. They remove fluid from the grass plant, which then, in turn, withers and dies.
Damage is first noticed as brown patches, which enlarge as the bugs work outward.
Damage is most severe in hot dry summers.

CONTROL

Apply recommended insecticide application.
Water deeply and infrequently to avoid drought stress. Water plays an important role for successful control.
During warm summer periods, non-irrigated turf grass can become very dry and, therefore, more prone to Chinch Bug infestation.

GRUBS

DESCRIPTION

The White Grub is the larval stage of the Japanese Beetle. It has a brown head and is usually found in a C-shaped position. It is 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long.

DAMAGE

Larvae (grubs) feed on the root system of the turf. Grub damage to the lawn appears as irregular brown patches which pull up easily

CONTROL

The adult beetles prefer to lay eggs in short, stubby grass. Therefore, mow lawn high in the summer (about three to four inches).
Apply recommended grub control application.

SOD WEBWORMS

DESCRIPTION

Larva - dark, shiny, brown heads, Body color varies from greenish to beige, brown or gray depending on species. They have four parallel rows of dark spots along their bodies from which protrude long, stiff hairs.
Adults - 1/2 inch cream-brown colored moth, prominent "beak", and wings folded tent-like over body. Referred to as "lawn moths."

DAMAGE

Larva cuts off grass blades just above the thatch line and pulls them into their silken tunnels to eat.
Injury appears as small brown patches of closely cropped grass.
Patches may run together forming large irregular, ragged brown patches. Damage occurs in August and September.
Adult does not damage the turf, however, lays eggs in turf.

CONTROL

Apply recommended surface insecticide if insect is present and feeding.
Lightly water in insecticide so it will work its way through the lawn to the insect.
Because the adult moths lay their eggs in thick thatch, keep the thatch layer very thin to prevent Sod Web Worm infestation.