Lawn Brown Spots

I mentioned earlier this week that all the rain may lead to lawn disease when the weather warms up. This weekend Kansas City is supposed to be a toasty 87 degrees. This means we may see a flare up in lawn disease. (Warm nights + moisture = a breeding ground for fungus.)

Brown Patch, the most common Fescue lawn disease, causes thin patches of light brown grass that are roughly circular in shape. Sometimes, the disease skips the circular phase and presents as large, thin, brown areas. To determine if disease is causing your brown spots, look at an individual leaf blade for lesions.

This, my friends, is what the lesions look like.
I know, because this came from the lawn of yours truly.

Ryan Lawn & Tree can take care of your lawn disease. Request a free estimate. (We can also prevent disease.)

Rain and Your Lawn

Photo from Galyna Andrushko - Fotolia.com

We have been getting a ton of rain in the Kansas City Metro area recently. Initially, I was grateful to skip a day of watering my container plants; then I started to worry they were getting a little too wet.

Containers aside, what does all of this rain mean for our Fescue lawns?

Because the weather is cool and the rain has stopped for now, it may simply mean we get to enjoy our lush, green spring lawns free from drought or heat stress. However, yards with drainage problems or standing water can pose a threat. Waterlogged soil has less oxygen available for plant roots and may lead to wet wilt, a fairly rare condition.

Another possible complication concerns temperatures. If they heat up too soon, it will make our currently wet lawns more susceptible to fungal disease. These diseases can potential kill grass, especially in Fescue lawns planted in the last two years.

For now, though, I think we can safely enjoy the new life that the rain has brought forth. If conditions change, you know I'll keep you posted.

Irrigation Winterization

If you live in the Midwest, it is time to start thinking about winterizing your irrigation system.

If you have an above-ground backflow, it is important to schedule your appointment sooner rather than later to avoid damage from a surprise, early freeze.

"Winterizing" your system involves blowing all the water out of the system to prevent breaks due to freezing and thawing.

If you water the old-fashioned way, like I do, it is important to drain all hoses and store them in the garage for winter.*

*Winter is never the reason I have had a hose fail. My problem is that I keep a spray attachment on the end of the hose and I am absentminded. TWICE, I have left the water on without realizing it. This makes the pressure in the hose build up, until the hose itself splits. Broken hose = annoyed husband.

Tree Watering Part 2

Photo from Tree Gator

I have seen municipalities use bags to water their trees. (It seemed like a good idea to me, but I checked with one of our arborists to make sure there weren't any downsides--none came to mind.)

A quick Google search revealed several different options of tree watering bags, from DIY instructions to manufacturers selling different models. If I were going to try one, I would stick with the "doughnut" shaped bags. More conical options that reach higher on the trunk worry me as far as rotting.

Have you tried a "water bag"? What did you think?

Watering Trees

If you have young or stressed trees, you have probably thought of watering them this summer. After all, it is HOT out there!

When watering trees, it is important to understand how much water a tree needs, and the structure of the root system. A tree's root system extends out to the edge of the canopy, and most of the roots are in the top 6 inches of soil.

To effectively water a small tree, encircle the tree with a soaker hose and water for 30 minutes. This will provide enough water to the tree for a week.

For larger trees, use a sprinkler to broadcast water, and again, water for 30 minutes. Depending on the area, you may have to move the sprinkler a few times to be sure you are covering the entire root area.

***Keep in mind, during dry winters, it is also important to water evergreens. These trees don't go dormant, so they can suffer from drought stress even when it's chilly outside!***

Rain Sensors

Last night we received heavy thunderstorms and rain around the Kansas City metro and surrounding areas. This is the second day of heavy rains (and we had more rain last week). I thought this was the perfect time to highlight the benefits of installing a rain sensor for your sprinkler system. Rain sensors prevent your sprinkler system from running when rain is received.

We have a rain sensor installed on our sprinkler system. (I took this picture of ours.) This one is a wired rain sensor; rain sensors can also be wireless. This small investment has saved us money in water many times over. If you don't have a rain sensor installed on your system, call an irrigation company (like Ryan Lawn and Tree) to have one installed.

Brown Spots in Lawns!

Brown spots become more common as the summer wears on, especially in the transition zone.

There are several causes of brown spots in summer lawns. Three of the most common causes are drought, grub damage and disease.

Drought:This is perhaps the most common cause of brown grass in the summer. If you want your lawn to stay nice and green, you must ensure your lawn gets one to two inches of water per week. Using a rain gauge will help you determine when your lawn has received enough water. Another guideline is to water when the lawn starts to take on a bluish tinge, or when you can see
your footprints in the grass after you have walked across the lawn. Drought damage will cause all or part of your lawn to turn tan to brown. If enough time passes without enough water, all or part of your lawn will die and need to be reseeded in the fall.

Grub Damage:Another common cause of brown spots in our area is grub damage. The easiest way to identify grub damage is to get down and examine the brown spots. If you the affected area pulls up easily, like a carpet, then grubs are the likely culprit. You may even catch some grubs still feeding in the area. Your local garden center will have products to prevent and control grubs.

Disease: Lawn disease can also cause brown spots in lawns. Most lawn diseases are caused by our hot, humid summer days and nights. The most common disease active in our area is Brown Patch. The first signs of Brown Patch are thin patches of light brown grass that are roughly circular in shape. Other times, the disease skips the circular phase and large areas of the lawn will turn thin and brown. Once again, your local garden center will have products to control disease, although the products with the longest protection period are only available to commercial pesticide applicators.

If you decide not to treat, the grass may grow out of the problem. However, this is risky as just as often the grass will die and need to be reseeded in the fall. If your lawn was planted last fall (2008) I strongly recommend treating, as these young seedlings are hit hardest by disease.

Brown spots are ubiquitous in the summer, but what are YOUR lawn concerns? Leave a comment below if you have questions and I will get an answer for you.

Winter Descication

I’ve been noticing some winter damage on my boxwood in front of my house. I snapped a picture of some of the damaged foliage. This is winter desiccation and it is caused by lack of moisture during the winter months.

Most people think all plants go dormant during the winter; however this is not true for evergreen plants. Evergreens (like boxwood) never go completely dormant during the winter months and need to be watered. If they do not receive enough moisture, they dry out and winter desiccation is the result. Desiccation is visible by browning of foliage (like my picture above shows.)

Water!

Photo From: http://home.howstuffworks.com

August in the Midwest is HOT! This intense heat, coupled with very little rainfall, is tough on our cool-season lawns (especially in the transition zone).

It is imperative that we water regularly during dry periods, if we want our lawns to keep growing. (The alternative is not to water and let the lawn go dormant.)

Your lawn needs roughly 1" of water every 2 to 3 days when temperatures are above 90 degrees. (You can use a rain gauge or an empty tuna can to ensure you are watering enough.)

As a general rule, anytime your lawn starts to look "dull" or take on a bluish tint, it is time to water.

Watering is certainly an easier task for those with an automatic system. For the rest of us, it is worth the effort to drag out a hose and sprinkler to make sure we keep our lawn in good shape.

If we can all hold on another 6 weeks, we should see relief from the heat and our lawns will have a chance to shine for another month or two before they go dormant for winter.

Sprinkler Systems

You have an automatic sprinkler system. All your watering problems are solved, right? Not necessarily.

Watering issues still result even with automatic systems. These issues include:
• Poor head placement, usually not enough heads or heads are too far apart
• Incorrect nozzles in rotors
• Improper setting of times for a zone or zones
• Watering at the wrong time of the day

Some of these issues can lead to too much or too little water in a portion of your yard. Improper design is usually the result of lack of experience by an installation company. Companies sometimes reduce heads to save money if the job was bid too low.

To be effective, sprinkler heads should spray to the adjacent head. This gives 100% coverage and avoids wet/dry, wet/dry spots across your lawn.

A major reason for new lawns to fail to come in well is improper coverage from poorly installed automatic systems. The second reason is not setting the controller correctly.

Get Rid of Standing Water

Lawns need water, especially in the heat of summer. Effective watering keeps your lawn and landscape healthy and thriving. However, water standing in your lawn or landscape beds for more than 24 hours, is not good.

Allowing water to gather in your landscape may compromise grass or other plantings. Pay attention to your lawn next time it rains. If you still have standing water a day later, take note. The next step is determining what is keeping the water from draining.

It may be necessary to move some dirt around or install a french drain to take care of the problem. In the long run, it is worth it to do so, especially if water is standing in conspicuous areas.

Soggy Roots

Spring is the time of year when turfgrass produces the majority of new roots. This year, we had a lot of rain, which hampered root growth. To properly produce roots, there must be oxygen in the soil. When our soils are saturated with water, the amount of oxygen is reduced. This, in turn, reduces the number of new roots that a plant produces.

Because of this root problem, we may start to see signs of wet wilt this summer. Wet wilt occurs during hot and humid periods when soils are waterlogged, or when the roots cannot absorb water quick enough to meet transpiration needs of the plant.

Affected grass initially appears brownish and water-soaked. Turf soon thins out in irregular shapes. Eventually, leaves and sheaths collapse and turn white. A week or two later, dead areas develop a blackish appearance. This condition is difficult to diagnose and can be confused with summer lawn diseases.

For more information, visit: http://www.usga.org/turf/green_section_record/2006/mar_apr/understanding.html