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Preventing Lawn Fungus

Preventing Lawn Fungus | Landscaping Services Company in Dallas | Southern Botanical

Lawn fungus take on an assortment of forms: from highly visible spots, rings, threads, or slimes, to dead-looking brown patches. Once your lawn becomes infected, it can be hard to treat. 

The good news is, right lawn care practices can go a long way in lawn fungus prevention and treatment. In severe cases, a fungicide can help destroy the spores, halting the spread. 

Here are some tips on how to prevent fungus in your lawn: 

  • Watering – This is huge. A lot of lawn diseases thrive in humid or moist conditions. If your lawn is always wet for long periods of time, chances are, it will have disease issues. Water during the day so that the lawn dries faster. It’s best to water infrequently but deeply so that your lawn will have an opportunity to dry out between watering.
  • The kind of grass – If you plant your grass outside or near the edge of its typical range of adaptation, it is bound to be more susceptible to disease. Poor growth will make the grass more subject to problems. You can try to over-seed your lawn with a less susceptible type of grass. Remember, its best to choose a grass type that is well-suited to your area’s climate, light, and soil conditions. They will be able to fight off the fungal spores that are specific to your area. 
  • Temperature – Grow grasses that adapt well to your area. In Texas, it’s best to go for warm-season grasses like bermudagrass, centipede grass, buffalo grass, St. Agustine grass, Seashore Paspalum, and Zoysia grass. 
  • Fertilization – Some diseases like a certain soil pH. Some prefer underfertilized lawns, some like heavily fertilized lawns. Don’t forget the value of a soil test. Also, it’s best to apply the recommended amounts of the right fertilizer for your lawn
  • Pesticide use – Using herbicides or insecticides may wreak havoc to your lawn’s natural balance, killing off beneficial insects like earthworms. You can choose to go organic to help keep your lawn in balance. 
  • Mowing – Avoid mowing low. This creates conditions that disease-causing organisms love. 
  • Thatch – Have you noticed that spongy layer of debris and grass stems that form between the roots and leaves? That is a thatch, and diseases love them. Thatch blocks nutrient and water penetration and holds moisture in the lawn’s surface. Power raking or aerating your lawn every year or two can help allow the soil to breathe. 

Good lawn maintenance is key to lawn fungus prevention. Your local landscaping services company in Dallas can help in ensuring that your lawn reaches its full potential for health, thickness, and beauty.

Restore the advantage to your lawn by making prompt adjustments upon seeing the first signs of trouble. Contact Southern Botanical today!

Sources:

“Lawn Fungus – Common Types & How to Prevent,” HomeAdvisor, https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/lawn-fungus/ 

“Turfgrass Selection for Texas,” Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/landscaping/turfgrass-selection-for-texas/ 

“Choosing Fertilizers for Home Lawns,” University of Illinois Extension, https://web.extension.illinois.edu/lawntalk/planting/choosing_fertilizers_for_home_lawns.cfm