Even our most faithful turf management customers have problems with their lawns dur-ing this time of year. You may recognize some of the follow-ing most asked questions dur-ing July and August:
What are all those little brown dead looking circles all over my lawn?
There is a fungus among us—Brown Patch—and it‟s the reason for those little brown dead looking circles all over your lawn. This fungus thrives in steamy, moist environments that are brought about in our area by afternoon thunder-showers or supplemental wa-tering late in the day. This late afternoon rainfall/watering causes the fungus to spread like wildfire. Brown Patch can be treated both preventatively and curatively, but it is expen-sive and requires three applica-tions of fungicide.
Why is my lawn brown and dead looking?
The answer to this question is our harsh summer climate. Middle Tennessee is directly in the center of the area referred to as the transition zone. The transition zone refers to the northern most growing limits for warm season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, versus the southern most growing limits for cool season grasses, such as Tall Fescue and Ken-tucky Bluegrass. Most home-owners are objectionable to Bermuda grass and Zoysia be-cause they turn brown in the
early winter. Most homeown-ers choose Tall Fescue which is a cool season grass. By defi-nition a “cool season grass” is a turfgrass species adapted to favorable growth during cooler weather (60-75). Cool sea-son grasses may become dor-mant or injured during hot weather. In the dormant state, Tall Fescue looks brown and dead. The grass goes into sur-vival mode where the plant sacrifices shoot growth above ground and focuses all of its energy to maintain life in the root system below ground. Some of the grass will recover in the fall when the heat sub-sides, however a portion of the lawn will die each summer.
So what’s the magic solu-tion?
Unfortunately, there is no „magic solution.‟ However, you can lessen the problems by following these simple steps:
1) Replenish—(September/October) Overseed yearly to replace grass that died during the harsh summer months. Use the best possible Tall Fescue Seed Blend you can find—Not all Fescue is created equal! 2) Fertilize—Timing is critical! Too much nitrogen late in the season can make brown patch fungus worse. 3) Water—Regularly! Lawns need an average of 1″ per week to survive. Mornings are best. 4) Spray—To eliminate weeds
competing with your grass for nutrients and water, and to control diseases like Brown Patch.
Remember, Tall Fescue is the most popular choice because it will give you good results for three (Fall, Winter & Spring) of the four seasons. It will always struggle during our Summer months. This is simply the nature of our Middle Tennessee climate here in the transition zone.
Bottom line is if you are looking for a nice Fescue lawn, it is not an easy process with a one-time expense. It will require consistent care year after year and most importantly fall overseeding (September and October are ideal months for overseeding) to replinish the grass lost during the summer months.■
Even our most faithful turf management customers have problems with their lawns dur-ing this time of year. You may recognize some of the follow-ing most asked questions dur-ing July and August:
What are all those little brown dead looking circles all over my lawn?
There is a fungus among us—Brown Patch—and it‟s the reason for those little brown dead looking circles all over your lawn. This fungus thrives in steamy, moist environments that are brought about in our area by afternoon thunder-showers or supplemental wa-tering late in the day. This late afternoon rainfall/watering causes the fungus to spread like wildfire. Brown Patch can be treated both preventatively and curatively, but it is expen-sive and requires three applica-tions of fungicide.
Why is my lawn brown and dead looking?
The answer to this question is our harsh summer climate. Middle Tennessee is directly in the center of the area referred to as the transition zone. The transition zone refers to the northern most growing limits for warm season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, versus the southern most growing limits for cool season grasses, such as Tall Fescue and Ken-tucky Bluegrass. Most home-owners are objectionable to Bermuda grass and Zoysia be-cause they turn brown in the
early winter. Most homeown-ers choose Tall Fescue which is a cool season grass. By defi-nition a “cool season grass” is a turfgrass species adapted to favorable growth during cooler weather (60-75). Cool sea-son grasses may become dor-mant or injured during hot weather. In the dormant state, Tall Fescue looks brown and dead. The grass goes into sur-vival mode where the plant sacrifices shoot growth above ground and focuses all of its energy to maintain life in the root system below ground. Some of the grass will recover in the fall when the heat sub-sides, however a portion of the lawn will die each summer.
So what’s the magic solu-tion?
Unfortunately, there is no „magic solution.‟ However, you can lessen the problems by following these simple steps:
1) Replenish—(September/October) Overseed yearly to replace grass that died during the harsh summer months. Use the best possible Tall Fescue Seed Blend you can find—Not all Fescue is created equal! 2) Fertilize—Timing is critical! Too much nitrogen late in the season can make brown patch fungus worse. 3) Water—Regularly! Lawns need an average of 1″ per week to survive. Mornings are best. 4) Spray—To eliminate weeds
competing with your grass for nutrients and water, and to control diseases like Brown Patch.
Remember, Tall Fescue is the most popular choice because it will give you good results for three (Fall, Winter & Spring) of the four seasons. It will always struggle during our Summer months. This is simply the nature of our Middle Tennessee climate here in the transition zone.
Bottom line is if you are looking for a nice Fescue lawn, it is not an easy process with a one-time expense. It will require consistent care year after year and most importantly fall overseeding (September and October are ideal months for overseeding) to replinish the grass lost during the summer months.■
Gary Claiborne
