As we move into fall, it’s time to review our lawn care strategies.
It’s important to be proactive with lawn care, and not rely solely on fungicides or insecticides.
If your lawn is regularly under stress from lack of water, poor fertilization, excessive traffic, insect damage, or injurious mowing techniques, it will be more susceptible to diseases and pests.
It’s important to be on the lookout for problems, because it is easier to identify and solve pest and disease issues when they are noticed early.
For example, large patch is a fungal disease that occurs when temperatures cool, typically from November to May.
Large patch primarily affects St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass lawns.
Unfortunately, many disease problems aren’t noticed until the roots are destroyed, and the above-ground leaves appear yellow or brown.
Sometimes, homeowners see these symptoms, and respond with additional water and/or fertilizer. Unfortunately, if the problem is fungal, water and fertilizer can worsen the situation.
Once fungus has damaged a plant, that portion of the plant cannot “heal.”
Fungicides help stop the disease from spreading to healthy plant tissue. Homeowner-approved fungicides may be applied, but they do not repair dead or dying turf.
If you spot and treat disease early, turf damage may be minimal, and you should see improved growth in the healthier areas of the lawn. But, if you wait too long, the disease may progress quickly, killing grass and resulting in costly treatment and sod replacement.
What should you do if you see a problem?
Bring a sample of your turf to your local county Extension office. A good sample size is a square-foot of grass. Select your sample from an area that is on the border between healthy grass and the discolored or unhealthy-looking grass.
This type of sample shows a progression of symptoms, and helps Extension staff and master gardener volunteers to determine what issue is affecting your lawn.
Use a shovel to dig up this piece of sod, including the roots. Then, place the sample on newspaper or in a cardboard box and bring it to your local Extension office. (You may place the sample back in the yard when you return home.)
Another option is to send a sample directly to the University of Florida lab. The lab will determine if a pathogen is present on the turf and has a quick turnaround time with a preliminary diagnosis provided within 24 hours to 48 hours.
A Rapid Turfgrass Diagnosis costs $75 per sample, and you will receive a report with recommendations. For more information about this, go to this link: turf.ufl.edu/rapiddiag_general.shtml.
Insects that may be present include fall armyworms, chinch bugs, mole crickets and sod webworms. Check the free, UF/IFAS online library, called “EDIS,” for more information on each of these pests, and other gardening and home topics. EDIS stands for Electronic Data Information Source, and the website is edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
If you don’t know if you have an insect or disease problem, rule out the insects first.
Do a soap flush
When you notice signs of damage, do a soap flush. Besides being simple, sometimes people discover they have beneficial insects in their yards. For instance, earwigs and big-eyed bugs eat chinch bugs.
To perform a soap flush, you’ll need:
- Liquid dishwashing soap. Some publications suggest that lemon-scented works best (Note: Don’t use a degreaser)
- A watering can or bucket
- A container or zip-top bag to collect insects for ID
Here’s what you do:
- Look for an area that shows a progression of symptoms, such as an area with signs of damage and no damage.
- Use a watering can to mix 2 Tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap with 2 gallons of water.
- Apply the soap mixture to a 2 foot-by-2 foot area of grass.
- Wait 2 minutes to 3 minutes. Insects will begin to appear as they move to the soil surface.
- Flush late in the afternoon or early morning for best results.
- Check for different stages of an insect’s life cycle, such as adults and caterpillars.
- Collect samples. Bring to the Extension office for assistance, identification and control recommendations.
- Repeat the process in several areas of the yard to get a good sample of insects present.
If you need help identifying an insect, check with your local county Extension office.
For additional information, check out these IFAS publications: “Insect Pest Management on Turfgrass” by E. Buss and A. Dale (2017) and “Turfgrass Disease Management” by M.L. Elliott and P.F. Harmon (2018). Both of these publications were used as sources of information for this column.
For additional information, contact p, or call (813) 744-5519, ext. 54145.
By Nicole Pinson
Nicole Pinson is the Urban Horticulture Agent in Hillsborough County.
Published October 3, 2018
