Grassy Weeds and Broadleaf Weeds

Lawn Care Results

Common Weeds We Treat

Knowing the name of the weeds is really not that important in our opinion, although we can identify most weeds in Georgia on site.  What we consider much more valuable than knowing the weed’s name, is knowing how to control it and get it out of your lawn!

We are properly trained and licensed to spray fertilizer and herbicide in GA.  We stay up to date with the latest tactics and strategies as we are required to obtain CEU’s from accredited sources to maintain our license.  If you are having trouble controlling the weeds in your lawn, don’t reach hesitate to reach out to Sam and the team and Sam’s Personal Landscaping today.

Turf Disease

Below you see images of what turf disease looks like.  Turf disease is created from environmental conditions and even if you have your lawn treated, your lawn can still be affected.  This condition occurs because of environmental conditions.  Usually, it is the result of the perfect (or not so perfect!) combination of moisture and temperature that causes this.

There are preventative measures that can be taken, but the products to treat turf disease are expensive!  We highly recommended only worrying about turf disease after your lawn is infected.  With that said, it is important to act fast!  When you see the first signs of disease entering your lawn you should take action immediately.

If caught early, minimal damage can be done with a curative fungicide treatment applied.  Often, multiple treatments are needed, but not treating an infected lawn could be devastating to the appearance of your lawn for years to come.

Here are the most common turf diseases:

Brown Patch

• Circles of dead, sunken grass that can vary in size up to 3 feet wide.
• Grass blades darken, wilt and die, leaving the circle’s perimeter smoke-gray in color.
• In the spring and fall, warm to hot weather conditions set the stage for disease.
• Wet leaves, high humidity, overfertilizing and excess water facilitate the spread.

Dollar Spot

• Silver-dollar-size circles spread up to 6 inches wide and eventually merge into large, irregular blocks.
• Grass develops straw-yellow spots that look water-soaked. Morning light reveals cobweb-like growth.
• Late spring through fall, mild-to-warm temperatures support disease development.
• Underfertilizing, excessive moisture, drought stress and thatch leave grasses susceptible.

Gray Leaf Spot

• Small, irregular patches grow and join together to form large areas of damage.
• Grass blades develop small, bleached-out spots with dark brown edges. The spots turn fuzzy gray when wet.
• Moderately high temperatures with high precipitation from spring to fall favor the disease.
• Poor air circulation, overwatering, overfertilizing and too much shade contribute to the spread of disease. 

Leaf Spot

• Grasses display elongated, oval spots with dark purple-brown margins and brown centers.
• Crowns and roots of grass plants develop dark brown rot, and grasses thin and die out.
• Unseasonably warm temperatures threaten cool-season grasses, while unseasonably cool temperatures put warm-season grasses at risk, particularly in overly dry, poorly aerated soil.
• High humidity, extended moisture, mowing too short and too much high-nitrogen fertilizer support the disease. 

Pythium

• Circles of withering, blackened blades expand in patterns that follow the flow of water through the lawn.
• Leaves look greasy and stick together, roots turn brown and rot, and grasses die quickly.
• Warm temperatures, consistently wet conditions and high humidity from early summer to fall encourage the disease.
• Compacted soil, overfertilizing, overwatering and too much shade hasten the spread. 

Red Thread

• Red or bleached-looking patches appear as grass blades wither from the tips.
• Reddish-pink threads bind blades together; red spores show up on shoes, mowers and tools.
• Mild, early spring temperatures and cool, wet conditions favor the disease.
• Underfertilizing, high humidity, poor air circulation, shade, thatch, leaves wet for an extended period of time, and compacted soil contribute.

Rust

• Irregular patches of weak, thinning grass develop yellow specks that become rust-colored.
• Orange-red pustules cover grass blades and hitch a ride on tools, shoes and mowers.
• Mild to moderately warm temperatures from early summer through fall are primary disease periods.
• Drought, high humidity, extended wetness, shade and underfertilizing leave stressed grass susceptible.

Snow Mold

• Small, circular, pinkish spots spread up to 1 foot or more.
• Grass blades become water soaked, turn red-brown, and then tan. White or pinkish fungal threads can be seen in mornings.
• Overly cool fall temperatures combined with wet conditions set the stage for disease to strike in winter, especially under snow cover.
• Overfertilizing with too much nitrogen in fall, poor drainage and too much shade leave grass vulnerable.

Summer Patch

• Circles of dying and dead tan-colored grass show green, healthy-looking grasses in their centers.
• Dark brown fungal threads may cover the crowns, rhizomes and stolons of grass plants.
• Unusually high temperatures in late spring through summer support disease development.
• Excessive soil moisture, compacted soil, poor drainage and mowing too low give the disease an advantage.

Credit for most common turf disease information: Pennington Seed

How To Prevent Turf Disease

1. Apply a preventive fungicide treatment
2. Check soil pH and adjust if needed
3. Fertilize properly
4. Proper watering habits
5. Aerate and over-seed when needed
6. Follow mowing best practices
7. Dethatch lawn if needed

Has your lawn already been affected by turf disease?  There are curative treatments we can apply.  Contact us quickly to limit permanent damage to your lawn.

Best Watering Practices

Watering your lawn may not be as simple and straight forward as you might think!  No worries though, there is not too much to it.

First, you can over-water your lawn!  If we are getting plenty of rainfall, there is no need to supplement with additional manual watering.

Next thing is the timing.  Watering your lawn in the early morning hours will be most beneficial.  Watering during the heat of the day is not recommended because too much of the water will evaporate before entering the soil.  Watering at night is not a good idea either.  When you water your lawn at night you open the door and greatly increase your lawn’s chances of developing a turf disease.

Finally, water deep, not often.  What this old saying means is that when you do water, you want to water each area for an extended period of time.  The reason you want to do this is because by watering each area for 20-30 minutes instead of 5-10 minutes, the water travels deeper into the soil.  Your grass plant’s root system will dig deep to retrieve this water and the nutrients within.  If you water for short periods of time, you encourage your root system to remain shallow.  A shallow root system is not equip to handle the hot Georgia summers and your lawn will suffer.

A Strong Root System Is Key

The way your lawn looks on top is a direct reflection of how your lawn’s root system looks below the soil surface.  Our program focuses on delivering the right amount of nutrient to your lawn, right when your grass needs those specific nutrients the most.  The type and amount of fertilizer we apply each treatment varies throughout the year and we really put some thought into it.  We also used the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s recommendations when finalizing our treatment program to make sure we covered all bases.