Archive for the ‘Lawn Disease’ Category

A Good Spring Starts Now!

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Well here we are again – Labor Day has come and gone, the kids are settling into their routine at school, and college football once again dominates television on Saturdays. Our thoughts are quickly turning to fall and the upcoming holidays, and before long the temperatures will cool to the point that most of us will find our excuses to stay inside.

Fescue Overseeding in Oklahoma

So what should you be doing for your lawn now that will help set the stage for a beautiful lawn next season? The answer to that depends on the type of grass you have.

Warm season lawns consisting of Bermudagrass or Zoysiagrass should have their last fertilization of the year no later than about the 3rd week of September. This fertilization should be a little lower in nitrogen, but offer a higher rate of potassium than the fertilizers that were used over the summer. The potassium helps promote the overall root health of the plant is especially beneficial as the grass goes dormant over the winter. (more…)

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Wait a minute…

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Will Rogers once said “If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute and it’ll change.” That has definitely been the case lately. We have bounced from flooding rains to very hot and dry conditions, back to flooding rains all in the course of 30 days. Today as I write this blog we have more rain coming down, but also have a forecast that includes an excessive heat warning for the next couple days!

While all the back and forth weather can make it hard to spend time at the lake or plan that backyard bar-b-que with the neighbors, it can also have a negative impact on your lawn and landscape.

brown patch in fescueOne common problem that creeps up this time of year is Brown Patch in fescue lawns. Brown Patch is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani. Brown Patch is more prevalent when temperatures are above 85, when humidity is high and when soil is moist for extended periods of time. It can be spread by wind, animals, foot traffic, mowers or just about anything that is exposed to the fungus. Left untreated it will cause an otherwise healthy stand of Fescue to deteriorate quickly, leaving your lawn bare and unsightly. The good news is that it can be controlled with applications of a fungicide.  LawnAmerica offers both preventative and curative applications. A fungicide application will generally offer 3-4 weeks of control under normal conditions. If conditions stay excessively warm and moist, repeat applications may be needed sooner. Give us a call or email if you suspect that your lawn is suffering from Brown Patch. (more…)

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Posted in Community, fescue lawns, Lawn Disease, Lawncare, Optional Services, Weed Control | No Comments »

June 2009 Update

Monday, July 6th, 2009

We are currently applying our Early Summer Step 3 Weed-Control/Fertilization Treatment.  This treatment consists of a granular 31-0-9, with 40% slow-release nitrogen.  The fertilizer needs to be watered into the soil with about ½” of moisture if no rainfall occurs within 4 days.  We also treat any existing broadleaf weeds with Trimec broadleaf herbicide and Dismiss herbicide for Nutgrass.  As we get into late June and July, grassy weeds and Nutgrass come into play, so MSMA grassy weed herbicide and Dismiss nutgrass herbicide are applied also.  If existing weeds were treated, irrigation needs to be delayed at least 2-3 hours in order for the products to be fully absorbed by the weeds.

Aeration on Warm-Season Turf
Early summer is a great time to aerate warm-season turf.  Our new Super Soil Treatment is also being applied in June and July.  See the page on Optional Services for more information, or schedule this service on our website.

Primo Turf Grass Regulator
We’ll begin Primo applications in June for warm-season turf.  If you are tired of mowing your lawn too often, Primo is a turfgrass growth regulator that does a great job of slowing down the growth of the grass by about 50% over a 5-6 week period.  Call our office for more information, or schedule this service on our website.

Lookout for Turf Diseases
Be on the lookout for Brown Patch disease in fescue lawns during mid-summer.  Irregular brown patches with sometimes wilted turf can be a sign that disease is present.  Adjust your watering so that your turf is irrigated only in the mornings, about 2 times per week on average.  DO NOT water in the evenings, allowing the turf to stay damp all night.  This will increase your chance for getting turf disease.  See our web page on turf disease for more information.

Tree & Shrub
Azaleas need to be fertilized sometime from mid-May to late June.  Our Azalea fertilization service not only provides proper feeding of your Azaleas, but we also add a booster treatment of granular Merit insecticide to cut back on Lacebug problems.  Call our office for more information.

Posted in Lawn Disease, Lawncare, Optional Services | No Comments »