It seems we spend the spring trying to make lawns look their best, then summer hits! You cannot fool mother nature, especially in the mid-Atlantic lawn environment. Most in our region are growing cool season turf, meaning it stays green most of the year and loves the spring and fall. This can be tough in the summer months so here are a few of the common lawn problems you can expect to see in your cool season turf.
Disease or Fungal Blights
There are numerous types of diseases that can harm your lawn and only a few that can be deadly. Often, patience is key as the lawn will rebound when “cooler” conditions return. However, if you decide to take the fungicide route, just remember they are costly and you will need to repeat usage all season.
Nut Grass or Nutsedge
This is not a grass or a broad leaf weed. Nut Grass has edges creating a different blade than lawn grass. You may notice it by the different color green than the rest of your lawn. Nut Grass comes from tough nutlets under the ground and requires specialty herbicide. It is not uncommon for this pest to take multiple years to control.
Grubs
Grubs are the larval stage of beetles that eat on the roots of your grass. While many believe this is only caused by the Japanese Beetle there are actually several other species of beetles that can be the culprit. One especially common species is the Chafer Beetle. Preventative treatment, meaning before the eggs are laid, is the most effective. These treatments are reasonably priced and generally are best used from late May to late July. To ensure your lawn is protected use preventive treatments annually.
Remember spring is maintenance for the cool season lawn. Late summer through December is building the cool season lawn. Concentrate your feeding and broad leaf weed control in the building season to help the lawn do better the following spring and summer….not the other way around! Light feed and some more weed control is all you need in the spring.