by Nathan Brandon
CEO of Pure Green
As of June 21, summer officially arrived, and this spring Middle Tennessee experienced above average temperatures, quite a few afternoon showers and fairly high humidity levels. These conditions form a triple threat against growing a healthy, green lawn. There are a few specific issues we are seeing in lawns right now, and they require careful attention and treatment in order to fix and return your grass to full health.
Brown patch is a soil born fungus that causes brown, circular patches in the lawn. Typically, it starts showing up around the latter half of May. The fungus needs a temperature/humidity combination of roughly 150 to live. For example, a temperature of 85 degrees and humidity of 65% or a temperature of 75 degrees and humidity of 75%. These are two weather scenarios Middle Tennessee has seen several times throughout May and early June. Brown Patch kills grass, but many homeowners may mistake it for drought stress, and will therefore try to fix the issue by fertilizing or watering. The fungus actually feeds on nitrogen, one of the most common ingredients in fertilizers, and accidentally overwatering will tend to assist it in spreading.
If left untreated, brown patch will spread to other parts of your lawn, so it’s important to treat as soon as possible once you recognize it. Since it is a fungus, the only true way to treat brown patch is with a fungicide. Fungicides, especially the long lasting compounds that don’t require as many recurring treatments, can be fairly expensive. Some may require watering in, and some others may not. The amount of applications you need may also depend on whether or not you have an irrigated lawn.
Nutsedge is another issue we’re seeing this time of year. This weed, which tends to thrive in wet or moist areas of the lawn, as well as landscape beds, can be easily mistaken for grass but has a blade that is more triangular in shape. The weed and roots are easy to pull out of the ground, but you don’t want to pull on nutsedge because the weed spreads what are called nutlet seeds into the soil. This allows new weeds to continue to grow, and it can be challenging to control. Because of the way it spreads, the most effective way to control nutsedge is with an actual chemical treatment. True nutsedge-specific treatments can be very expensive – sometimes upwards of $125.00 for about 1.5 ounces – depending on what product and where you buy it. In this case, a professional treatment may be more cost effective for homeowners.
Spurge is also a pesky weed beginning to pop up. It is a broad leaf that grows very flat to the ground and tends to come up in bare areas of the lawn where the turf is minimal and dried out. There are several species of spurge, including spotted, prostrate and creeping spurge, all of which can be found in Middle Tennessee lawns. It is fairly easy to get rid of once you see it, but it takes some time and patience. I typically suggest a broadleaf herbicide, and in most cases more than one treatment will be required to kill the weed.
Always keep in mind – for the well-being of your lawn and your family, it’s important to read the directions before using or applying any lawn treatment, and you can always consult a professional if you have any questions.
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Nathan Brandon, a Nashville native, is CEO of Pure Green, a Middle Tennessee-based lawn service company focused on using environmentally friendly products and procedures. Pure Green offers fertilization and weed control, aeration and seeding, flea, tick and mosquito suppression, and sports turf care services. For more information about Pure Green and the company’s services, visit http://www.puregreenllc.com/.
