Centipede lawn with disease
My lawn is brown..... "Spring has arrived and warm season lawns are turning green. However, some
lawns are not looking so good. Many Centipede (do we insert "coastal
centipede, or north myrtle beach centipede" to get more local hits or
rankings?) lawns have brown areas as a result of damage. What's going on?
Many lawns are showing the effects of fungal disease. The most prominent is Large Patch. Large patch was formally called Brown Patch. Large Patch can develop and cause damage during the fall and winter. We do not often see the effects of the damage until spring when the lawn greens up. That makes this disease so frustrating and that is why we recommend preventative fungicide applications in the fall. Centipede lawns are especially susceptible to Large Patch. Unfortunately, Centipede lawns are also slow to recover. This does not work well with the patience level of most of us!
What causes Large Patch?
Excessive moisture during periods when soil temperatures are below 70 degrees like we have in the spring and fall create favorable conditions. Our area experienced this with Hurricane Matthew in October 2017 and the heavy October rains in the fall of 2016. Excessive nitrogen applications late in the season can also contribute to development of the disease. Areas with poor drainage and saturated soils will be problem areas as well.
What can I do?
We cannot control nature, but we can control our irrigation and watering. Do not water during evening hours. Turn down your irrigation as fall approaches and temperatures cool off. Do you have a rain sensor on your irrigation system?
Avoid excessive nitrogen applications on your lawn late in the season. Apply fungicides as a preventative measure in the fall and spring. This is important if you currently have, or have had disease issues in your lawn. The fungal disease will come back! Call us if you need help with fungicide applications."
