Youthful yard
IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS THAT CAN THREATEN LUSH LAWNS
L andscaping can be a rewarding hobby that instills a sense of pride in homeowners. Whether you prefer to get your hands dirty planting perennials or devote the bulk of your attention to crafting a lush, green lawn, chances are you will run into at least one problem during lawn and garden season. Some problems are easy to identify, while others are more complex.
The following are a handful of diseases homeowners may encounter when maintaining their lawns and gardens over the next several months.
➤ Anthracnose: Anthracnose is a term used to describe various diseases that produce a host of unsightly symptoms. Those symptoms include tan to brown leaf spots or blotches; distorted, cupped or curled leaves; irregular defoliation, such as leaves falling in spring; and dieback, a condition in which trees or shrubs begin to die from the tips of
their leaves or roots backward. Permanent damage due to anthracnose is rare, but these diseases can weaken trees over time — and that can leave them vulnerable to pest infestations.
➤ Brown patch: Brown patch is unsightly and is most likely to occur during summer. According to the Penn State Center for Turfgrass Science, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and bentgrasses are the grass species most susceptible to brown patch. When a lawn is suffering from brown patch, leaves and stems die out in large, circular patches. In high-cut grasses, these patches can stretch from a few inches to several feet. Tall fescue grasses may not exhibit symptoms of brown patch in noticeable patches. In such instances, the brown patch may be seen on individual leaves that feature tan or light-brown lesions. The Center for Turfgrass Science notes that these
lesions will be surrounded by dark-brown borders.
➤ Dollar spot: The American Phytopathological Society notes that dollar spot refers to a disease of the leaves of turfgrass. Grasses suffering from dollar spot will have lesions that may range from white to straw-colored; these lesions progress downward from the leaf tip or laterally across leaf blades. Leaf blades affected by dollar spot may have several small lesions or one large lesion, and in some instances, the entire leaf blade may be affected. Turfgrass affected by dollar spot may be susceptible to weed invasions.
➤ Summer patch: Summer patch is most common in warm climates and is characterized by yellow to straw-colored patches that can be several inches or several feet in diameter. Summer patch is often linked to shallow root systems caused by poor soil conditions. Large swaths of grass suffering from summer patch can be an eyesore, appearing as though the grass has been burned by the summer sun.
Lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs are susceptible to the elements. Identifying lawn diseases quickly can help homeowners find solutions before the problems escalate.