Brown Patch 101: What is Brown Patch and How do You Treat Brown Patch Diseases?
Brown patch lawn disease is one of the most damaging turfgrass diseases. When the weather conditions are exactly right, it sneaks up on you and kills vast swaths of turf almost instantly. Brown patch lawn disease affects a wide range of grass species and prefers lawns that have received a lot of quick-release nitrogen fertilizer.
Brown patch is a fungus-induced summer lawn disease caused by Rhizoctonia. The illness begins to grow when temperatures surpass 65°. The most active growth of brown patch lawn disease occurs when temperatures reach 80-85°, and humidity levels are extremely high. Brown spots on your lawn can be produced by a variety of causes, including fungus, excess thatch, and poor soil conditions, to name a few. Types of grass that it affects the most are;
Tall Fescue
Perennial Ryegrass
Bent Grass
Weather Condition for Brown Patch Diseases
Brown patch flourishes in hot, damp weather, and it can damage your lawn in late spring, summer, or early fall. Prolonged wetness—or any other activity that keeps grass wet during weather with temperatures exceeding 80°F during the day and 65°F at night—creates excellent circumstances for the development of this deadly fungal disease. Furthermore, grass that has been over-stimulated with nitrogen fertilizer is more prone to brown patches.
What Causes Brown Spots Diseases?
Brown spots caused by fungal infections generally appear as uneven patches. If the fungus has been present for some time, the patch’s interior may heal, leaving a ring of dead grass surrounding it. Extremely wet or humid conditions, as well as a lack of sunlight and poor air circulation, can all contribute to fungal infections.
Grubs cause harm to grass by devouring the roots, resulting in tiny brown spots that progressively enlarge in a pretty regular pattern. Dead spots on the lawn can also appear when annual weeds such as crabgrass, annual bluegrass, and foxtail begin to die back. This is a normal cycle that may be avoided by maintaining your grass properly.
Treatment for Brown Patch Diseases
Some of the circumstances that contribute to the brown patch are beyond your control. Regardless of what a person does, air temperatures and humidity levels can lead a lawn to develop brown patches. A proper lawn care routine, on the other hand, can reduce the chances of a brown patch.
Do not over-fertilize your grass, and avoid feeding it during humid weather. Use correct watering techniques. If you must water, do it early in the day so that the grass has time to dry completely before dark. If dew collects on your lawn each morning, it is likely that you do not need to water it at all. Increase the flow of air. The easiest method to accomplish this is to aerate and dethatch the lawn on a yearly basis. Increased air circulation will help to minimize the humidity that produces brown patches.
Most lawns recover without chemical treatments. Fungicide treatment, according to lawn care experts, is only recommended for increased ryegrass and bent grass turf mixes. The initial fungicide treatment should be administered as soon as the symptoms develop, especially if hot and humid weather is forecast. Because brown or yellow patches can be caused by a variety of factors, it’s critical to have your lawn evaluated by an expert landscape specialist. If the presence of a brown patch is established, prompt treatment is essential.
