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Writer's pictureJon Stoddard

Lawn Diseases & Common Lawn Problems in Daytona Beach, Florida



Imperial Pest Prevention Lawn Spray Company Daytona Beach

Your lawn's maintenance practices can have a significant impact on both its general health and attractiveness. Your landscape might suffer unneeded stress or harm, which increases its susceptibility to illness. This stress can be brought on by overwatering, underwatering, cutting grass too short, and poor fertilizing. Discover the following diseases that affect Daytona Beach lawns the most, and take the necessary precautions to safeguard your landscape immediately.


Diseases of the Lawn in Daytona Beach

Summertime may conjure images of lush foliage and sunny weather, but for many homeowners, it also signals the onset of lawn illnesses. It seems to sense that throughout the summer, your grass would be more worn down than usual due to the stress of the sun, the drought, and increased foot traffic. It might be difficult for some Florida homeowners to distinguish between different grass illnesses. To reclaim your lawn and enjoy the remainder of your summer, we've listed the most prevalent lawn diseases in Daytona Beach and ways to avoid them. Check out our advice on preventing lawn diseases, which includes:


Brown Patch Fungus Identification


Brown Patch Fungus Closeup

Brown Patch is a fungus to look for, especially if your lawn is made up of Zoysia or St. Augustine grass. As its name implies, Brown Patch is a lawn disease that thrives in warm temperatures and causes brown patches of varied sizes to appear on your lawn. Up till the sickness is under control, the circles will keep expanding.


Most Daytona Beach homeowners have seen this grass disease at some point or another, making it one of the most prevalent in the city. Typically, Brown Patch begins in a tiny patch of grass, dying and turning the grass blades from yellow to brown to straw-colored. Brown Patch typically appears when a lawn is being lavishly overwatered or after periods of excessive rainfall. Particularly in the winter and early spring, your grass is in danger.


Signs of the Brown Patch Fungus

A circular, discolored area in your grass signifies brown patch fungus. While the grass around the perimeter of the space will likely be browning or yellowing, the circle's core might be a more vibrant green. Pulling grass blades from the edge of the ring will reveal if you are dealing with Brown Patch Fungus in Daytona Beach if the blades are easily separated from the stems, appear brown, and are rotting at the base of the edges.


Brown Patch Fungus Disease Prevention

Eliminating evening lawn watering is one technique to combat Brown Patch Fungus. The spores of the disease will be transmitted by water droplets that remain on the grass all night. Water in the morning ensures the grass dries out during and before dusk. To stop the fungus from spreading:


Avoid walking across the infected areas or letting pets run through them when the infected areas are wet.


When the grass is damp, avoid cutting and mowing it! As a result, spores will spread quickly.


For more details and help with Orlando lawn maintenance, contact Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control.


Grey Leaf Spot Fungus Identification


lawn fungus image

Grey leaf spot causes circular spots of withering grass across your yard, like brown patch fungus. Each grass blade is attacked at the top, leaving behind tiny brown spots that may also contain gray "velvet" growths in the center. These spots may take on an oval appearance as the condition worsens. Grey leaf, most prevalent from early spring to early fall when humidity is high and severe rainfall weakens your grass and leaves it thin. In the humid atmosphere of Orlando, spores can spread quickly.


Fairy Ring Fungus Identification

Although Fairy Ring may sound like something from a fairy tale, you don't want to let it take over your lawn. Lawn diseases like Fairy Ring are widespread in Florida, including Daytona Beach. They typically take place at the same location year after year. Dark green or dead grass in circles or semicircles, occasionally with mushrooms. Hot weather and months with a lot of rain put your grass at the highest risk of Fairy Ring.


Your grass becomes nitrogen-starved due to this illness spreading via its roots. Additionally, it creates mycelium, tiny white threads that grow on your grass, harden as they age, and ultimately destroy it by obstructing water flow to the roots. It often takes multiple years for Fairy Ring to manifest itself in your soil. Because of this, many homeowners assume they have the issue under control only to discover it returning a few years later.


Dollar Spot Fungus Identification

The size and shape of the imperfections it left on lawns give this illness its name. Checking which species in grass mixtures are affected by the pathogen can usually help diagnose this disease, which typically affects Kentucky Bluegrass species. You might see Dollar Spot's onset if you've ever observed a few tiny lesions on your grass. These circular areas of lesions, which range in color from tan to white and usually are approximately the size of a silver dollar, are present. These tiny areas have the potential to become huge, destroying grass at the roots. When temperatures are over 70 degrees and high humidity, Dollar Spot begins to attack lawns.


Rust Fungus Identification

In addition to being ugly, rust fungus increases your lawn's vulnerability to other illnesses. Your grass will turn yellow, orange, red, or brown due to this fungus, which appears as a yellow or orange powder. The extent of the fungus in your lawn will determine how rusty the grass blades get, how slowly it grows, and how sparsely it covers your property. Occasionally, grass blades will rip and droop.


The rust fungus most frequently affects the grass in shady places that is heavily wet with rain, dew, humidity, or overwatering. Falling is particularly dangerous when temperatures range from 60 to 85 degrees in early spring.


Pythium Blight Identification


Pythium Blight Image

One of the most damaging lawn diseases, Pythium Blight, commonly affects established grass on sporting grounds. Due to this disease's predilection for high moisture levels, a lawn with inadequate drainage may become infected. The disease is more common when the temperature is high, and the humidity is high.


How to Manage Lawn Illnesses

Having the right tools to combat these lawn illnesses is essential for controlling many of them. These lawn issues can be effectively treated with fungicides and chemical lawn treatments. There are several different fungicides you can use to treat these grass diseases, including:


Applying fungicides and other chemicals to your property should be done with caution, especially if you have children or pets that frequent and play in the yard. Our expert lawn care specialists at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control can apply extremely efficient formulas without endangering your family.


Prevention Techniques for Lawn Diseases

One of the best practices you can do for your lawn is to take proper care of it all year to prevent infections. Since preventative measures are always the best course of action, this includes:


Fertilize it at least three to four times yearly (but not over-fertilizing).


Water Your Turf Between 5 and 9 in the morning.


Utilize a high (3–4 inch) setting when cutting your grass.


Installing an irrigation system is important since disease-prone lawns have inadequate drainage.


Use core lawn aeration to improve airflow and fertilizer uptake.


Do not wait until the issue becomes severe to fix it if you have observed any of these lawn and turf symptoms or if you suspect disease in your grass. At Imperial Pest Prevention, we have the knowledge and resources required to restore and maintain the health of your grass. With the help of our lawn spray services in Daytona Beach, we'll handle everything while you relax and take advantage of the remaining summer months!

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