Your lawn is more than just an extension of your private property. It is an iconic aspect of any suburbia and the most visible and public space in a community.
Whether it’s an expansive front yard or a small backyard, lawn care is important. To some, it may appear as a vanity project, but it goes further than that. Lawn care matters because of its importance to the greater environment.
Lawns offers great carbon sequestration – capturing carbon and other pollutants. Lawns also introduce natural noise and heat reduction to your home. A good lawn will increase your property and neighborhood value. Not to mention, it’s a great outdoor space for your family to enjoy.
Lawn maintenance is not simply a weekend chore. Significant understanding of common lawn diseases and how to fix and prevent them can significantly help your lawn maintenance habits.
- Crabgrass invasion
Digitaria is a warm-season annual, but most people know it by its more common name; crabgrass. Crabgrass is adaptable and fast-growing. Appearing as ungainly clumps, crabgrass often features as two prevalent types; smooth and large. This weed is easy to control, but timing is crucial.
Under-fertilised and low mowing introduces crabgrass to lawns. So mow high and be sure to fertilize your lawn. Gluten corn meal is a great fertilizer for your lawn. It also serves as a natural alternative to chemical pesticides when controlling crabgrass.
This should be done in early spring to prevent crabgrass and fertilize your lawn.
- Bare patches
Few things are more unsightly in a landscaped garden or any home lawn than a bald spot. If a full, healthy lawn displays signs of bare patches, this could be attributed to heavy foot traffic, pet urine, or infestations by fungi, bugs, grubs, or other pests.
To eliminate these problems, you must address the issues. Introduce a path for the traffic flow issue. Train your pet to urinate somewhere else less prominently visible. Use pesticides to rid the lawn of pests and fungi. Once this has been done, you can reseed your lawn.
Spring or early winter is the best time to reseed the troubled areas. Keep the problem areas moist for a few weeks and water daily when necessary.
- Dollar spot
While dollar spot mostly affects turf-grasses, it is nonetheless a problematic lawn disease. The good news is, it’s easy to identify.
Occurring throughout the growing period, mostly during moist, warm days and cool nights, dollar spot appears as tan or straw-colored patches throughout your lawn. A lawn fungus by nature, it’s named so because it first appears as the size of a silver dollar.
For prevention and effective lawn control, aerate your lawn, mow frequently to stimulate healthy lawn growth, water deeply, but infrequently, and fertilize during the late spring season. While there are products out there that can minimize the spread of dollar spot, prevention is key. Adequate fertilization and lawn maintenance will ensure your grass outgrows its dollar spot problem.
- Lawn weeds
Lawn weeds appear in many shapes and sizes and are introduced to your grass through many means. Often, wind, birds, your lawn maintenance tools, and even your feet can serve as ferries for these unwanted weeds.
Whether it’s dandelions, the invasion of creeping Charlie, or even the annual bluegrass, weeds occupy space, food, and light your grass needs to grow and gradually ruins the look of your garden or lawn. There are various methods to get rid of lawn weeds according to seasonality and weed characteristics. But prevention is key to resist their aggressive growth throughout your lawn.
Ensure your lawn is watered deeply but infrequently. This promotes deeper root growth. Be sure to mow at a proper height to help grass grow thick and suffocate weed seeds. Proper feeding is also key. Feeding regularly, in 6-8 weeks intervals during the growing season thickens up your lawn and eliminate bare spots.
- Lawn pests
There are many reasons lawns can become vulnerable to pests. Weather conditions, poor drainage, and a lack of nutrients can contribute to the introduction of lawn pests. Early detection and identification are key in the battle against lawn pests.
As lawn pests can appear in a variety of ways, from leather jackets, moles, and worm casts, the numerous methods to control outdoor pests varies. Pesticides may provide relief but can contribute possible hazards to people and the environment. The most effective strategy for controlling pests is prevention.
Regular mowing, watering, and weed control can improve the health and appearance of your grass while limiting the growth of lawn pests. Be sure to remove grass clippings as they can promote the growth of fungal spores. During winter, avoid high nitrogen feeds. Long, lush growth may appear nice, but it’s an invitation for snow mold and other fungal diseases.
So next time you’re out mowing and raking, look out for these common lawn diseases. Proper identification is crucial in the battle for a well-maintained and beautiful lawn. Knowing what to look for can ensure the right preventative measures are used.
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