Understanding the Connection Between Weather & Lawn Disease
When you picture your lawn at its peak of health, you think about the grass being warm, vibrantly green and soft to the touch. What we do not often picture are rough, bare spots or unsightly discoloration due to lawn disease.
Lawn disease can be one of the most frustrating problems to have when maintaining your lawn's health because people often think that it happens at random or because of a lack of sunlight. While sunshine can play a part, there are many different things that can cause lawn disease. One of the often overlooked elements is the weather.
Identifying Typical Lawn Diseases
Some of the most common lawn diseases in Georgia are:
- Brown Patch
- Dollar Spot
- Pythium Blight
- Slime Mold
- Spring Dead Spot
- Rust Disease
- Fairy Ring
- Large Patch
What Weather Factors Impact Your Lawn
The definition of weather is "the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness." These elements are exactly what come into play when talking about lawn disease, most notably temperature (heat or cold) and moisture (wetness or dryness).
Alternatively, if your lawn is experiencing extended periods of heavy rain or humidity and is showing signs of disease, this could be due to poor drainage caused by over-compacted soil.
The fungi that cause lawn disease thrive in spots with poor turf health, especially if it's too warm and overly moist.
Preventative Measures to Take
Simple things such as piles of leaves, mulch or pine straw on your lawn can prevent proper airflow. Other times, your thatch layer may be built up too much and could need to be removed. This is known as dethatching.
Your lawn may also be over-compacted and in need of aeration to alleviate compaction. This process allow your soil to breathe and can improve poor nutrient flow.
Your Local Lawn Disease Experts
At AgroPro, we have lawn disease programs designed to help your lawn fight against the environmental conditions that are causing disease. These treatments often need applied multiple times each year. If you are curious about fighting lawn disease in 2024, contact us today to see what we recommend!
