Conditions Favoring the Disease

Yellow Patch is most prevalent from late fall to early spring when temperatures are less than 60°F (16°C). It occurs in areas that receive more than 10 hours of leaf wetness for several days in a row and on turf that has excessive thatch and high nitrogen levels. Poor mowing habits like a dull mower blade can increase the probability of Yellow Patch by leaving the turfgrass blades exposed to the disease.

Managing Yellow Patch

• Use a slow-release fertilizer to ensure moderate amounts of Nitrogen
• Reduce the leaf wetness period
• Avoid nighttime watering can as this can increase the leaf wetness period and lead to disease
• Allow for better air movement in order to help dry the lawn when moist
• Remove excess thatch through regular aeration will help alleviate compaction and improve drainage
• Ensure that when mowing, the lawn is mowed at a high level when dry
• Allowing the grass blades time to heal in the morning
• Avoid early-evening mowing as this will increase the chance of Yellow Patch as well as a dull mower blade

What Weed Man Can Do

Your locally owned and operated Weed Man dealer is here to help. Weed Man’s turf specialists can recognize Yellow Patch disease and make recommendations to help your lawn. Weed Man’s specially blended, slow-release fertilizer applied at the right time is the first step in preventing Yellow Patch. Weed Man’s fertilizer helps create healthy turf by slowly feeding the lawn as needed, encouraging deep rooting systems. Your local Weed Man dealer will also advise you on any other treatments or cultural practices that may be necessary to help your turf remain healthy and vigorous.

White grubs can devastate your lawn.

White grubs (European chafer, May and June beetles) are small, plump, white larvae which viciously chew on grassroots. They live below the soil surface and actually chew off the roots of the grass. Since the grassroots have been destroyed, the lawn will appear yellow in patches, just like the lawn is dying out. The damage looks quite similar to symptoms of dryness; in fact, many Weed Man customers mistakenly assume that the lawn needs only water to restore a lush, green appearance. Animals like skunks and raccoons digging up the lawn and birds feeding on grubs, leaving pencil-sized holes, and offten, damaged turf will roll back like a carpet.

The lifecycle of White Grubs

To control an insect population we must understand its habits and life cycle. Some grubs complete their life cycle in one year. Others require three years to complete their life cycle. White grubs survive the winter as larvae in the soil. In the early spring, the grubs begin to feed again. Later in the spring and summer, they enter a resting stage (pupae) then hatch into adult beetles. Weed Man customers beware! Lots of beetles can mean a grub problem later. (The beetles do not damage lawns.) Beetles lay their eggs which hatch into grub larvae. The larvae feed voraciously, which results in the yellowing of your lawn.

Serious damage can occur in the spring, summer and fall. If the problem is ignored the patches will get larger. The damaged areas will then fill in with weeds or crabgrass. The best time to treat grubs is when they are very young before you are faced with severe damage. Why wait?

How to control White Grubs 

Your Weed Man is a trained specialist. He can recognize the difference between a simple drought problem and a serious white grub infestation. Your Weed Man uses materials that are applied carefully and precisely at the correct time to be the most effective in controlling this serious lawn pest. Call your local Weed Man and he will inspect your property free of charge! If you do have white grubs, he can protect your investment in your property, by promptly treating the problem. If your yellow patches are due to lack of water, he can advise you on correct watering procedures.

Proper Watering Techniques & FAQ

Watering properly is much more an art than a science. When watering turfgrasses, wet the soil to a three-to-four-inch depth. Normally, this should create enough reserve moisture in the soil that you will not need to water again for two to four days depending upon rainfall amounts if any. It is best to water a lawn heavily and infrequently. One common mistake with irrigation systems is that too much water is applied every day, which can lead to disease problems during the summer.

Determining moisture depth

To determine the soil moisture depth, use a screwdriver or a garden trowel. Push it into the soil and if you meet little resistance, then the soil is wet. If it does not push easily into the soil, then additional water will be needed.

How often should I water my lawn?

Regular waterings are better than a light sprinkling. Your lawn needs a minimum of 1½ inches (3-4cm) of water weekly depending on soil type, wind and rainfall amounts. This will encourage strong healthy roots. Sandy soils will need to be watered more often than clay soils, but less water is needed to wet a sandy soil to the four-inch depth. Heavy watering results in waste and promotes lawn problems, e.g. disease.

When is the best time to water?

Early morning is the best time to water. Midday watering—during hot, dry weather—can waste water, since much of the water evaporates. Evening watering promotes the spread of disease.

What are the symptoms of drought?

The symptoms of drought begin with a dark silvery tinge to the grass blades. At this point, your footprints become clearly visible. If action is not taken to correct the problem, the grass plants will die and turn a straw color.

If your lawn shows symptoms of drought, water it immediately regardless of time of day.

What is the best way to water a hill?

An easy way to water hills is to use a soaker hose with the water holes turned down towards the ground. Flood the hill until puddles appear at the bottom. Ask your local Weed Man for watering recommendations.

What is Summer Dormancy?

Summer dormancy occurs in a lawn when grasses as exposed to an extended period of heat and lack of moisture during mid-summer. This severe stress may cause a lawn to temporarily stop growing. Dormancy is one of the mechanisms nature has developed to help plants survive stressful conditions. Allowing a lawn to go severely dormant during extended drought periods may cause portions of the lawn to die and not recover.

Symptoms of Summer Dormancy

• Lawn appears to be dead or dying.
• Leaves and stems of grass plants usually turn brown, as crowns and buds stop growing.

However, there is hope! When the weather changes and cooler temperatures and adequate moisture returns, grasses normally will begin to grow again. With proper care, the lawn will return to a healthy state unless you have an elongated period of heat and drought where some plants may have died.

Controlling Summer Dormancy

The following practices will help to ensure summer dormancy does not occur:

• Avoid drought stress during hot, dry periods by watering in the morning.
• Thorough, infrequent watering promotes the growth of a deep, healthy root system that is better able to survive drought and heat stress.
• Raise mowing height to 2.5-3” (6.5–7.5cm).
• Promoting a healthy lawn throughout the year will enable a lawn to better overcome stressful periods which can induce summer dormancy.

What is Topsoil?

Topsoil is the foundation of all plant health and plays an important role in how nutrients are available to the turf. It is recommended that you need at least 12 inches of topsoil for a healthy lawn; however, in most cases, when new homes are built they have all the good organic topsoil scraped away and sold. They then come back and put 2–3 inches of topsoil down over hard compacted topsoil and lay the sod. This makes it difficult for new home lawns to develop good rooting systems, and they become thin and weed-infested in a very short period.

How do I keep my Topsoil healthy?

Fertilizers help keep the lawn healthy, which helps develop a thicker lawn, and as the grass plants decay, they add valuable organic matter back into the topsoil. Aeration helps in breaking up the hard compacted fsimg, allowing nutrients to get to the roots, as well as air and water. Weed Man can help by offering services like fertilization and aeration. All the products that Weed Man uses on the lawn are biodegradable, breaking down into carbon, hydrogen and trace amounts of chlorine.

What is Top Dressing?

Sometimes, lawns require top dressing in order to help put more organic matter into the soil. Often, just regular applications and aeration will help over time. Top dressing is done to help right away, and is best done after aeration, as the top dressing will fill the aeration cores. When using top dressing, customers must ensure they do not completely cover the grass as it may smother and kill it. It is important that the fsimg be screened from any weed seeds, and make sure it is from a reliable source, as it can sometimes lead to other problems such as undesirable weed infestations.

What are Rusts?

Rusts are considered a minor disease on turfgrass in North America.

What grasses are most susceptible to Rusts?

Most cool-season grasses are susceptible to rusts; perennial ryegrass is the most susceptible and Kentucky bluegrass is slightly less susceptible.

When do Rusts appear on lawns?

Rusts generally appear on lawns in late summer and fall. The disease is most active during conditions of low-light intensity (cloudy overcast weather) and temperatures between 72–77°F (22–25°C) with high humidity. After infection, symptoms and stress caused to the turf is enhanced with temperatures 78–95°F (26–35°C). Alternating weather patterns changing in cycles from cool, wet weather to hot, dry weather can also create suitable conditions for the disease.

How do Rusts grow?

Rusts survive on living and dead leaf tissue and in the thatch layer of turfgrass and/or on alternate hosts (such as barberry or other ornamental plants) when they are not affecting the grass blades. Only when weather conditions become suitable do they begin to cause a concern on the lawn.

Symptoms of Rust

Initially, rust symptoms appear as light-yellow flecks on the leaves and sheaths. Reddish orange (rust colored) spores then develop in large numbers on the leaves of the grass plants. In most cases, the spores only attack the leaf blades causing wilting and thinning of the grass. Severe cases of rust can significantly damage turfgrasses. One sure way to identify this disease is to walk through the infected area and look at your shoes—if they look rusty, you will know your lawn has rust disease.

Controlling Rust

Several cultural practices will help control rust on lawns, including:

• Increase mowing height and frequency.
• Aerate to improve drainage and encourage air circulation.
• Reduce periods of leaf wetness.
• Provide an application of fertilizer to help promote recovery.
• Avoid drought stress by watering deeply and infrequently.

What is Red Thread?

Red Thread is a parasitic form of plant life called fungi that live in the soil, thatch and dead leaves year-round. These fungi feed off the grass by drawing valuable nutrients from it.

How does Red Thread spread?

Read Thread spreads throughout the lawn in the form of spores, which are spread by wind, air, water, and humans. Other factors that may encourage the spread of the disease are poor air circulation, poor drainage and a thatch layer greater than ¼” (1cm).

What causes Red Thread?

Red thread may be caused by improper mowing and by watering during hot, humid weather. Discuss maintenance practices with your Weed Man.

What types of grass are most susceptible to Red Thread?

Red Thread attacks most types of grass but is generally found on lawns that contain high proportions of the Fescue & Ryegrass species. Under ideal conditions, the fungi appear as small red filaments (“threads”) that may be seen projecting out of the affected leaves.

Controlling Red Thread

Controlling Red Thread can sometimes be achieved by changing watering habits, mowing practices, modifying the fertilizer program, providing more air circulation, aeration, and in extreme conditions, applying a fungicide to the lawn. Regular applications of a balanced fertilizer will produce a healthy lawn, which is more resistant to attacks by this disease. Have your Weed Man fertilize your lawn and advise you on correct maintenance to ensure a healthy disease free lawn.

What is Quackgrass? 

Quackgrass, sometimes referred to as couch or twitch grass, is a perennial field grass that is found in home lawns. Their roots can grow as long as 20-feet long and is often confused with Crabgrass. 

A small amount of Quackgrass in a lawn usually blends in, however, if the amounts are too high, non-selective controls (killing the entire area and starting over) may be necessary.

Quick facts about the culture/reproduction of Quackgrass

• Quackgrass is faster-growing, lighter green in color, and a much thicker blade than desirable lawn grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass.
• Weak lawns are ideal sites for the invasion of unsightly Quackgrass.
• Infrequent grass cutting and poor watering habits encourage Quackgrass invasion.
• Quackgrass thrives in undernourished, weak lawns and will quickly spread throughout the lawn.
• Quackgrass reproduces most often by vigorous underground stems called rhizomes.
• Few people are aware of Quackgrass invasion until desirable grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass are crowded out.
• Quackgrass gives the lawn a coarse, uneven appearance.

Controlling Quackgrass

A small amount of Quackgrass usually will not cause a problem; however, if areas of the lawn become unsightly, they would have to be selectively killed off and re-seeded in the early fall season. Please call your local Weed Man for assistance or recommendations.

What is Powdery Mildew?

Powdery mildew is a damaging disease of bluegrasses and fescues. Fungi live in the soil thatch and dead leaves year-round and feed by drawing nutrients from the grass.  

What causes Powdery Mildew?

Periods of low light intensity and poor air circulation favor the disease. Heavily shaded areas are particularly susceptible. Powdery Mildew is most severe during the spring and fall at temperatures between 60–72°F (15–22°C); however, it can occur at temperatures ranging from 34–86° F (1–30°C). Powdery mildew survives the winter in infected plants or plant debris.

Symptoms of Powdery Mildew

Early stages of Powdery Mildew are recognized as isolated colonies of whitish fungal structures called mycelia.

Mycelia colonize and infect a large portion of the leaf blade with a whitish-gray, dusty powder. Older leaves are infected more severely than younger leaves. Heavily infected leaves can turn yellow, then brown and die. Colonies of powdery mildew darken with age and sometimes transform into dark fruiting bodies. Infected plants are weakened, becoming more susceptible to other stresses.

Controlling Powdery Mildew

Several cultural practices will help control powdery mildew.

• Increase air circulation and light penetration through pruning or thinning trees and shrubs.
• Overseed with a shade tolerant seed mixture.
• Raise mowing height as well as water deeply and infrequently to avoid drought stress.
• Provide adequate fertility while avoiding excessive nitrogen that can contribute to the disease.
• Core aerate to increase water and air movement within the grass plants.

Essential Plant Nutrients

Of the 100+ known natural elements, 16 are essential plant nutrients. The three most important to plants are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which plants receive from air, water and the organic matter in the soil. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen make up 94% of the dry weight of plants. Three other key nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

• Nitrogen is a component of protein, which is essential for all plant growth.
• Phosphorus is part of nucleoproteins, which are needed for cell division, the growth of new tissue in a plant, and for the growth of new grass.
• Potassium or potash helps increase winter hardiness, disease and drought resistance in plants.

Types of Plant Fertilizers

If you look at a fertilizer bag, you will see three numbers on the front, for instance, 25-4-9. These numbers tell you the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—in that order—in the fertilizer.

Different kinds of fertilizers are used for different situations. For instance, a fertilizer high in phosphorus will help a newly-seeded lawn develop. A fertilizer with a greater percentage of nitrogen can be used to promote growth in an established lawn.

It’s not enough just to know the number of nutrients; you’ll also need to know what kind of nitrogen is in the fertilizer. Fast-release nitrogen is available to the plant immediately. Weed Man’s slow-release nitrogen is coated with sulfur so that the nitrogen is only available to the plant when soil bacteria have broken down the sulfur coating. This process is gradual, so the slow-release nitrogen provides nutrients to the plants over a period of about 8 weeks.

There are two advantages to slow-release nitrogen:

1. The nitrogen is made available to the plant as the plant needs it, over an 8-week period. With a fast release fertilizer, it’s either feast or famine for the plant.
2. Since the fertilizer is used gradually, very little is wasted.

The Weed Man Fertilizer Program

A Weed Man fertilizer program will feed your lawn 3–8 (depends on location) times a year at approximately 6–10-week intervals. Weed Man uses only the highest quality products which have been specially developed for home lawns.

Weed Man fertilizer contains a small percentage of fast-release fertilizer that is immediately available to your lawn. Larger quantities of slow-release nitrogen will become available to the lawn as it needs the nitrogen. Weed Man fertilizer also contains potassium and soil conditioners. Combined with proper mowing, watering, aerating, and weed control (and in the absence of disease and insect problems), Weed Man’s fertilizer program will give you a healthy lawn all season long.

What is Nutsedge?

Nutsedge is a common weed found in many home lawns and other turfgrass areas in the United States. There are many different types of Nutsedge but Yellow and Purple are the most common turf pests. Nutsedge is easy to distinguish in your lawn due to their characteristics in growth habit, light-green color and rapid growth rate, resulting in a nonuniform turf.

Although nutsedges are often referred to as “nutgrass” and resemble grasses, they are not grasses but true sedges. Their leaves are thicker and stiffer than most grasses and are arranged in sets of three at the base. Yellow nutsedge has light-brown flowers and seeds, and purple nutsedge flowers have a reddish tinge and the seeds are dark brown or black.

Life Cycle of Nutsedge

Yellow and Purple nutsedge are perennial plants. They usually die in the fall as temperatures decrease, and the tubers and rhizomes of the plant survive in the soil to sprout the next spring. Tubers are usually in the top 6 inches of the soil and can remain dormant for up to 3 years before germinating.

Managing Nutsedge

The key to managing Yellow and Purple nutsedge is limiting the number of tubers and their production. Removal by hand of small plants before they have 5–6 leaves can have an effect if done every 2–3 weeks during the summer. This weakens the plant by eventually depleting its energy reserves in the tuber.

What can Weed Man Do to control Nutsedge?

Your locally owned and operated Weed Man dealer is here to help. Weed Man’s turf specialists can recognize Nutsedge and make recommendations to help your lawn. Weed Man’s specially blended, slow-release fertilizer applied at the right time is the first step in preventing Nutsedge. Weed Man’s fertilizer helps create healthy turf by slowly feeding the lawn as needed, encouraging deep rooting systems that will prevent Nutsedge from growing. Your local Weed Man dealer will also be able advise you on any other treatments that may be necessary to help your turf remain healthy and Nutsedge-free.

Necrotic Ring Spot is a disease that takes the form of perfectly shaped rings of yellowed out grass with healthy grass growing within the ring. Fungi live in the soil, thatch and dead leaves all year round. These fungi feed off the grass by drawing valuable nutrients from it. Necrotic Ring Spot spreads throughout the lawn in the form of spores.

As a result of its appearance, the disease is also referred to as “frog-eye.” Affected areas will also have a sunken appearance to them.

How does Necrotic Ring Spot develop?

The disease first attacks very early in the season and becomes especially visible during warm weather. Necrotic Ring Spot usually attacks sodded lawns but may also attack seeded lawns in both sun and shade.

Can Necrotic Ring Spot be controlled?

Necrotic Ring Spot is a very difficult disease to control; many different fungicides have been tried over the years with little to no results. However, certain organic products can improve the situation slowly. Aeration in the spring and fall is helpful, as well as different types of renovations to introduce resistant varieties; however, the grass types usually don’t match.

A team of lawn-care experts like DeVries Landscape is your best bet to controlling diseases like Necrotic Ring Spot. Call us today and we will assist you with a plan to improve your lawn’s situation.

How often should I mow my lawn?

Lawns should be mowed regularly at their proper heights (see below). This means that your lawn may require mowing more than once a week during peak growth and only once every two weeks during periods of slow growth.

Since the root system of a grass plant grows proportionately to the above grounds parts of the plant, a longer cutting height results in a stronger, deeper root system.

Calculate your mower blade height by measuring the distance between the ground and the base of your lawnmower.

Cool Seasons Grasses

• Kentucky Bluegrass: 2.5 to 3 inches (60–75 mm)
• Perennial Ryegrass: 2.5 to 3 inches(60–75 mm)
• Tall Fescue: 2.5 to 4 inches (60–100 mm)

Warm Season Grasses

• Common Bermuda: 0.75 to 1.25 inches (20–30 mm)
• Hybrid Bermuda: 0.5 to 1.0 inches (12–25 mm)
• St. Augustine: 2.0 to 4 inches (50–100 mm)
• Zoysiagrass: 1 to 2.5 inches (25–60 mm)
• Centipede Grass: 1.0 to 2.0 inches (25–50 mm)

Messy, frayed grass tips from a dull mower blade

How sharp should I keep my mower blades?

Lawn mower blades should be kept razor sharp! A sharp blade makes a clean precise cut of each grass blade. This crisp cut allows the blade to heal quickly and the lawn looks very tidy.

A dull blade chews and frays grass blades. This messy chopping results in straggly rough tips which give the lawn an ugly, gray appearance and expose wounded tissue to diseases attack.

To maintain a razor-sharp blade, it may be necessary to have the blade sharpened three times yearly. Remember to sharpen the blade of even a new lawnmower. As a safety precaution, few new lawn mowers are sold with a pre-sharpened blade. A sharp blade results in a longer life and less wear and tear on your lawnmower engine.

Please mow frequently, no more than ⅓ of a grass plant should be removed with each mowing.

Should I remove my lawn clippings?

It is only necessary to remove lawn clippings if they are long and will smother the lawn. Returning grass clippings to a lawn when mowing is an environmentally beneficial practice referred to as grasscycling. Leaving grass clippings to naturally decompose on a lawn adds valuable nutrients back into the soil and also helps to conserve valuable landfill space by reducing waste. The use of a mulching-type mower is preferred for this practice since it promotes a more uniform distribution of grass clippings, thus allowing for quicker decomposition of the recycled grass plants.

What are optimum mowing conditions and techniques?

• If the optimum mowing height selected is 2 inches, then the lawn should be mowed before the lawn height exceeds 3 inches to ensure that only ⅓ of the blade height is removed.
• To reduce the chance of frayed grass blades and slips and falls, lawn mowings should be done when grass blades are dry.
• The mowing direction should be altered upon each mowing. This procedure will keep the grass growing strong and straight while reducing weed grass infestation.
• Lawns cut at the proper height are stronger and healthier because the root system is stronger and deeper. Your lawn will require fewer waterings and will be more able to resist insect and diseases attack!

There are several types of leaf diseases that you may notice take over your leaves in certain conditions. Learn about some of these leaf diseases below.

What is Leaf Spot Disease?

If your lawn is being watered and fertilized but still seems yellowish, it could be due to Leaf Spot Disease (better known as Leaf Disease). This disease is a fungus that attacks the blades of grass. Leaf spots are small circles with yellow centers and dark borders on, and along, the leaf blade. The disease can be a problem when the weather is cool and moist. Leaf spots occur most often in lawns that are mowed too short.

How does Leaf Spot Disease spread?

Leaf Disease spreads in the form of spores throughout your lawn by wind, air, water, and humans. The disease may reappear from year to year if conditions are met. Improper watering and mowing may cause the disease.

What is Dollar Spot?

Dollar Spot is a disease that can occur in lawns during warm weather. The fungus enters the grass plants when they are wet. Large, tan-colored wounds appear on the grass blades. These infected grass blades form rounded, damaged patches the size of a silver dollar. If the disease becomes more serious, the patches will expand and damage the entire lawn.

What is Leaf Blight?

Leaf Blight occurs on lawns during hot and humid weather. The disease enters the grass plants after evening mowing, followed by excessive night watering. In heavily infested patches, the fungus damages the lawn in circular or tubular patches that often form large bleached areas. Close inspection of the plant reveals individual leaves dying from the tip down with a brownish purple line running horizontally across the plant.

Controlling Common Leaf Diseases

The best method of control is for the homeowner to alter the present lawncare practices. Avoid allowing water to sit on the grass overnight and mowing in the evening. Prune trees to encourage more air movement. Also, keeping the thatch layer to less than ½” (1 cm) and proper fertility should be done to prevent the occurrence of these diseases. Promoting a healthy lawn is the key.

Contact your local Weed Man today to help control leaf diseases!

Mounds of dirt, holes and trails that run throughout your lawn along hedges, sidewalks and walls may be caused by rodents called moles. Moles are 6”–8” (15–20 cm) in length with a thin tail. The mole’s eyes are concealed by hair. They have pink feet that are able to dig rapidly with broad, fingernail-type claws.

Mole Damage

During early spring and autumn, moles build an extensive network of both deep and surface-level tunnels. The tunnels act like the mole’s living quarters. Deep tunnels may be from 6″–24” below the surface. The mole, creating molehills, may push up these tunnels. Shallow tunnels are often long winding pathways throughout the surface of the lawn. These pathways are used during damp weather when much of the mole’s food is near the surface. Moles are active year-round and can tunnel underground at a rate of 12–15 feet per hour with surface tunnels being built at 1 foot per minute.

A Mole’s Biology

Mole populations usually remain stable throughout the season. Moles produce their offspring in the spring, averaging three to four in a litter. The young remain with their mother for one month and then begin tunneling. The young grow to adult size in four to eight weeks. Moles lead an extremely active life, eating their weight in food daily. They feed on insects, grubs and slugs found during tunneling, but their main source of food is the earthworm.

Controlling Moles in Your Lawn

Trapping or baiting them are the best two methods of controlling moles. Please call DeVries Landscape for tips or assistance in getting rid of moles in your lawn.

Living in the Midwest means you (and your lawn) experience a wide variety of weather conditions—extremely cold winters and humid summers. This can cause significant damage to your lawn.

The Sub-Regions of the Midwest

The Midwest can be sub-divided into two zones: East and West of the Mississippi River. More precipitation falls in the Eastern region, about 20–45 inches annually; whereas west of the Mississippi River receives less than 25 inches of rain annually, with it becoming drier the farther West one goes.

Types of Turf by Subregion

Both the Eastern and Western subregions of the Midwest predominantly contain Bluegrasses, Ryegrasses Fescues and Bentgrasses. In the drier Western subregion, supplemental irrigation may be necessary to maintain the highest quality turf. In the Southern portions of both the arid and humid regions (MO, KS, and KY), Tall Fescues, Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass may be employed for more heat and drought tolerance.

Soil types also vary in the Midwest due to its history of experiencing significant glaciation. You’ll find loam, clay, sand, and even gravel soils throughout the Midwest.

Common Insects & Turf Diseases

It is not uncommon to encounter insect problems in a Midwestern lawn, including both surface feeders and sub-surface feeders. Sub-surface feeders include Grubs (the larvae of various beetles), Billbugs and Sod Webworms. Surface feeders include Chinch Bugs and Mites. The Winter Grain Mite is observed predominantly West of the Mississippi River. Unchecked, any of these insect pests can cause significant damage to turf.

Due to the frequently changing environmental conditions in the Midwest, turf diseases can adversely affect the health and appearance of lawns. Some turf diseases that affect lawns in this region include Powdery Mildew, Leaf Spot, Dollar Spot, Rust, Patch diseases, Necrotic Ring Spot, and Pythium Blight. Proper cultural practices such as core aeration, proper watering, and proper mowing habits can go a long way to controlling the spread of turf diseases.

Occasionally, disease treatments are necessary. DeVries Landscape Management can help—call us today to set up an appointment!

What is Fairy Ring?

Fairy Ring is a troublesome and annoying fungus that infects lawns across the country. Fairy Ring first appears as a circle of dark green, lush, fast-growing grass. A brown dead ring of grass surrounds the lush area. Rings or crescents commonly vary from 3’–49’ (1–15 m).

The disease is spread throughout the lawn in the form of spores, which are spread by wind, air, water, and humans.

Symptoms of Fairy Ring

Fairy Ring is contained within the soil penetrating as deep as 12″ (30 cm). The fungus attacks a central point in your lawn and grows outward. 

Fairy Ring can show various symptoms such as:

• Circular stunted or dead grass zones
• Darker green zone of grass on the outer ring
• Growth of grass and weeds in the center
• Mushrooms on the Fairy Ring fungus
• Whitish fungus located above the soil surface

Controlling Fairy Ring

Unfortunately, Fairy Ring is a very difficult disease to control and is less noticeable in a well-maintained lawn. The turf can be removed and the underlying soil can be replaced. This method is very expensive, difficult and not always effective due to re-infestation.

A more practical method for controlling Fairy Ring is to poke a garden fork into the ring and water the areas heavily. The water floods the disease and carries the Fairy Ring spores away from the grass plants.

Your Weed Man can help you with Fairy Ring suppression by fertilizing your lawn and advising on proper procedures to help mask the problem. Call your Weed Man for more details!

What is Dog Spot?

Animals, especially female dogs, can cause considerable damage by urinating on a lawn. The displacement of animal wastes throughout a lawn will result in a patchy uneven colored lawn including dead spots. 

How does Dog Spot occur?

Animal urine contains soluble salts, urea, and other compounds. The soluble salt content in urine helps determine how much damage will actually occur. When the soluble salt content is low and the soil affected is moist and fertile, damage may be minimal and show up as faster-growing patches of dark green grass. However, when the soluble salt content is high and the affected lawn is dry, there is a strong potential for damage. A margin of dark-green, rapidly growing grass may surround a yellow patch of dying grass.

Similar damage may occur from other sources of salt such as road salt and fertilizer spills, but these damaged areas won’t have the marginal green areas around the patch that are associated with dog urine.

Controlling Dog Spot

Dog spots are often confused with patch-type lawn diseases. Practices that will help correct damaged areas include:

• Watering deeply to disperse salt concentrations.
• Rake out and overseed severely damaged areas with a suitable seed mixture. For more information on overseeding, refer to Weed Man’s customer fact sheet on lawn renovation.
• Train the dog to make use of a designated area away from the lawn
• It may take a few weeks before the problem is alleviated; consult your local Weed Man if you have further questions.

Weeds overtaking your lawn and landscape are all-too-common. Learn more about how to prevent your lawn from the most difficult-to-control weeds below.

How do I Prevent Weed Problems?

Promoting a healthy lawn is the best defense against having severe weed problems. Proper mowing and watering, regular fertilization and core cultivation when necessary are key ingredients in building a healthy lawn. The use of pest control materials as tools to control weeds and other pest problems will help to protect grass plants and ensure vigorous growth in a lawn. Most broadleaf weeds that invade lawns can be effectively controlled with the use of selective weed control materials that are currently available.

These products are referred to as selective because they only affect the weeds and do not harm the grass plants in a lawn. There are, however, some weeds that are extremely difficult to control and some that cannot be controlled with the use of these materials. Special attention and care are often needed to control these persistent weeds. Let’s dive into these difficult-to-control weeds.

Types of Difficult-to-Control Weeds

Speedwells Veronica spp.

Several types of Speedwell species invade home lawns. Some are annual plants that reproduce from seed and others are perennial plants that can reproduce by seed, rhizomes and creeping stems. All are low growing with small leaves. Perennial species are generally more difficult to control.

Violets Viola spp.

The two types of Violets most commonly found on home lawns include field violet, an annual weed, and sweet violet, a perennial weed. Violets are distinguished by their heart-shaped leaves and their white, yellow, or purple flowers. Both types of violets can be extremely difficult to control.

Ground-Ivy or Creeping Charlie

Formally called Glechoma hederacea L., this is a perennial weed that has a creeping growth habit. It lays prostrate along the ground with square stems and roots at every node. Its leaves are round with toothed edges, and its stems and leaves produce a mint-like odor when crushed. Ground-Ivy is more readily controlled than the previous two types of weeds; however, like most of the weeds mentioned, it will take an ongoing effort by a lawn care professional to control it.

Other Difficult-to-Control Weeds

Other weeds found on home lawns that are considered difficult to control include field bindweed, wild strawberry, mossy stonecrop, yarrow, and knotweed. A combination of proper cultural practices, adequate nutrition and a progressive weed control program that may include repeat applications of government-regulated weed control materials will help to control these weeds over time. It may require several years of effort by a lawn care professional and the homeowner before adequate control of these weeds is achieved.

Weeds Resistant To Selective Methods of Control:

• Creeping Bellflower Campanula rapunculoides L.
• Goutweed or Bishopweed Aegopodium podagraria L.
• Japanese Knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. Zucc.
• Field horsetail Equisetum arvense L.

These weeds are seldom a concern in home lawns; however, when they do appear, they can present a major problem. All are extremely persistent perennial plants. All reproduce by underground stems called rhizomes that make them very difficult to control. They cannot be selectively controlled on a lawn using weed control materials. They can, however, be effectively dug out of a lawn as long as care is given to remove entire plants, including all underground reproductive structures (seeds, rhizomes, roots).

Your Local Weed Man Can Help!

Your local Weed Man is a trained specialist. He can properly identify any broadleaf weeds that exist on your lawn and determine the most suitable method for their control. Contact your local Weed Man if you would like to have your property inspected free of charge.

What are Cutworms?

Cutworms are large, plump, dull-colored grayish-green-and-brown larvae that viciously chew on grass plants. Cutworms live on the soil surface or in the thatch layer. During the day, they burrow into vertical holes to hide, and when nightfall arrives, they emerge from their burrowed hole and feed at the rim of the hole. Stems, leaves and roots of grass plants may be injured, leaving yellowish-brown dead patches with a hollow hole in the middle of the circle.

The damage looks quite similar to symptoms of dryness and many homeowners mistakenly assume that the lawn requires only water to restore the lush-green appearance. Other symptoms to watch for include birds – starlings have a keen ability to locate cutworm larvae. When these birds return frequently to an area cutworm larva may be present.

The Lifecycle of Cutworms

To control an insect population we must understand its habits and life cycle. The adult cutworm appears in the spring as a grayish/brown moth with a 1–1 ½ ” (2 ½–4 cm) wingspan. Adult cutworms do not damage lawns. They lay their eggs in the spring during the night leaving them on grass blades. Larvae emerge and begin feeding as early as June with damage appearing in June/July. Cutworms actually feed at night on grass blades that they chew off close to the base of the plant. Dead patches of grass begin to appear and may be pulled away easily by hand.

What are Sod Webworms?

Sod Webworm can damage your lawn severely. The immature larvae stage of the Sod Webworm is as long as ½” and are dirty white or tan-colored, and frequently have rows of dark spots along their back. Sod Webworm adults are small tan moths, ¼ –¾” (½ –2 cm) long. The adults are frequently seen darting across the lawn, especially when disturbed. The adult moths do not harm the lawn.

As with Cutworm damage, the symptoms of damage appear similar to that of dryness. As larvae, they construct tunnels or burrows through the thatch layer, sometimes extending into the soil. The name Webworm is derived from the insect’s habit of lining its tunnel with silk-like material that they produce.

The Lifecycle of Sod Webworm

Adult Sod Webworms emerge from the lawn in May or June flying mainly during the evening hours laying eggs randomly throughout the lawn. The larvae emerge from the egg and begin feeding immediately. Damage is caused by larvae chewing off grass stems and leaves while feeding during the summer and into early fall. The dead patches of grass pull away easily in clumps, revealing masses of silk with the green excrement pellets left by larvae. Severe damage may result in September if the population throughout the summer builds up.

Controlling Cutworm and Sod Webworm

Your Weed Man is a trained specialist and is capable of identifying both damaging insects. He can recognize the difference between a simple drought problem and a serious insect infestation. Your Weed Man uses materials that are applied carefully and precisely at the correct times to be most effective in controlling these serious lawn pests.

Call Weed Man and he will inspect your property free of charge! If you do have these insects, he can protect your investment in your property by promptly treating the problem. If your brown patches are due to lack of water, he can advise you on correct watering procedures.

What is Crabgrass?

Crabgrass, a troublesome weed grass, is an infestation that turns thick, lush, green lawns into thin, weak, patchy lawns. It is an undesirable grass due to the weakness of the plant’s structure, its coarse texture and unsightly color. Since there are many different kinds of weed grass, it is critical that the undesirable grass is correctly identified. 

Identification features are listed below:

Crabgrass Quick Facts

• Crabgrass is best identified in summer or fall so it can be controlled in late fall or the following spring.
• Crabgrass grows from seed every year in weakened, stressed areas.
• Crabgrass favors sandy, sunny locations in a weakened condition.
• Crabgrass cannot be controlled with broadleaf weed control products.
• Areas damaged by insects or along sidewalks and driveways are prime targets for Crabgrass attack.
• A strong, healthy, properly fertilized, mowed, and watered lawn provides the strongest defense against crabgrass as they allow few open sites for it to establish.

Controlling Crabgrass

Crabgrass control combines reducing numbers of Crabgrass with strengthening the lawn. Your Weed Man can apply a special Crabgrass control material in fall or very early in the spring before the Crabgrass seeds germinate. This material will form a barrier to stop Crabgrass seed roots as they germinate. Following application, this barrier must not be broken by raking or digging.

Weed Man Guarantee

Crabgrass will establish in the unprotected areas. Your Weed Man can strengthen your lawn by applying his specially formulated fertilizer program. He can beautify your lawn with weed control, insect control (if necessary), and advise you on proper mowing and watering procedures. Crabgrass in the lawn can be reduced over a few seasons of special care by your Weed Man and yourself.

We will keep Crabgrass out of your lawn guaranteed! If any does break through we will get rid of it. Contact your local Weed Man today to get your lawn under control.

What are Chinch Bugs?

Chinch Bugs (pronounced sinch or chinch) are small insects which live in and feed on lawn grasses. They live above the soil and feed on living grass plants by means of a piercing mouthpart called a stylet, similar to a mosquito. The insect inserts its stylet into the leaves, stems or crowns and sucks the juices out of the plant. The damage looks quite similar to drought symptoms, so it is common to mistakenly assume that the lawn needs only water to restore its lush green appearance.

Your lawn could look like this in as little as three weeks. Note the weeds flourishing in areas under attack. Chinch bug damage is often mistaken for drought stress.

The Lifecycle of a Chinch Bug

To control an insect population, we must understand its habits and its life cycle. Chinch bugs survive the winter as adults seeking shelter from the cold and snow under shrubs, hedges and leaf litter. In the latter part of the spring, they come out of hiding and venture into the lawn. Here they will mate and the females will seek a hot, dry location in which to lay their eggs—usually a south-facing, sloping hillside.

The adult female will lay approximately 250 eggs in the lawn. In about three weeks, the eggs begin to hatch and the young chinch bugs (nymphs) begin feeding. Two or more generations can mature each season. The eggs are laid close together so that when the eggs hatch and the young begin feeding, small patches of small grass begin to appear. If a homeowner ignores the problem or is unaware of it, the patches get bigger as the insect matures and seeks food further afield. Chinch bugs can totally ruin a lawn in three weeks if no control methods are taken.

Controlling Chinch Bugs

The Weed Man is a trained specialist. He can recognize the difference between a simple drought problem and a serious Chinch Bug infestation. Weed Man uses materials that are applied carefully and precisely at the correct time to be the most effective in controlling this serious lawn pest.

If you see suspicious brown patches starting to appear on the lawn, don’t hesitate! Call Weed Man to set up an inspection free of charge! If you do have Chinch Bugs he can protect your investment in your property by promptly treating the problem. If your brown patches are due to lack of water he can advise you on correct watering procedures.

What is the Bluegrass Billbug?

Adult Bluegrass Billbugs are blackish-gray in color with a hard body that is about 3/16” (5 mm) in size. They can be distinguished by their long snout-like forehead. The adults survive in the thatch layer during the growing season. The adults may cause minor damage to the lawn by chewing holes in grass blades; however, the damage inflicted is minor compared to that of the larvae. During the spring and fall, the adults may frequently be spotted traveling along sidewalks and driveways.

Damage Caused by Bluegrass Billbugs

Bluegrass Billbug damage frequently resembles drought symptoms. Large areas of your lawn may appear wilted with a yellowish-brown color; however, it will not respond to watering.

Bluegrass Billbugs do the majority of damage while in their larvae stage. Larvae are legless with a fat, whitish body and brown head. They feed on the grassroots and stems, often cutting the roots and stems of the grass off, allowing the plant to be pulled up easily.

The Lifecycle of Bluegrass Billbugs

Bluegrass Billbugs require one year to complete their life cycle. They survive the winter as adults living in protected areas such as gardens. Early in the spring, they emerge wandering about the lawn. By late June, the females begin depositing their eggs in the lawn, whcih begin hatching in about two weeks. They feed on the grass plants while moving into the soil. Serious damage may occur in the summer.

If the problem is ignored, the brown patches will get larger and damaged areas will then fill in with weeds or crabgrass. The best time to control the Bluegrass Billbugs is when they are very young (June–July) before you are faced with severe damage. By early fall they begin to transform into adults to in the winter which is when they are extremely difficult to control.

Controlling Bluegrass Billbugs

Your Weed Man is a trained specialist. He can recognize the difference between a simple drought problem and a Bluegrass Billbug infestation. Your Weed Man uses materials that are applied carefully and precisely at the correct time to be most effective in controlling this lawn pest.

Call Weed Man and he will inspect your property free of charge! If you do have Bluegrass Billbugs, he can protect your investment in your property by promptly treating the problem. If your yellow patches are due to lack of water, he can advise you on correct watering procedures.

Damage Caused by Armyworm

Armyworms feed on the grass anytime during the day and are known for their voracious eating habit. They have been seen moving en masse from one turfgrass area to the next, eating everything that is green, leaving only a few stems. Normally the damage appears as drought damage with a wilting yellowy appearance. Starlings can sometimes be an indicator of armyworm as they like to scavenge the lawn looking for the larva to feed on.

The Lifecycle of Armyworm

During wintertime, the Armyworm are in the larva or pupa stage in the southern regions of the United States. In the north, some larva may survive over winter, but most adults are blown north with spring weather fronts. In the spring, the larva pupates and/or the adults that arrive will mate and the females will lay clusters of eggs (100–300), usually on grass tips, hanging trees and shrubs or structures. The eggs will hatch into larvae and feed on the grass until they devour the entire plant and then will spread out, feeding on the grass during the day. Over a period of 20-48 days (depending on temperature) they will go through six-to-nine instars before pupating in the thatch and soil. Depending on the location there can be several generations present—usually two in the north to six in the south.

Controlling Armyworm

Ensure when the turf is mowed it is at the recommended mowing height for your turf species, and with a sharp mower blade when the turf is dry. Proper fertilization is also extremely important, and Weed Man’s exclusive brand of granular slow release fertilizer ensures that the turf remains healthy all year long. Adequate nitrogen levels will help the plant recover more quickly if it is thinned out. Proper watering is important, as well. 

Follow Weed Man’s proper watering instructions to help prevent Armyworm on your turf! 

What is core aeration?

Core aeration is the removal of small cores of soil and thatch from your lawn.

Why aerate your lawn?

Aeration is beneficial for your lawn in a number of ways:

• Aeration will overcome a compacted soil. Compacted soils make it difficult for roots to grow, limiting the movement of air, moisture and fertilizer through the soil.
• Aeration will reduce your water requirements. By relieving soil compaction, water penetration is increased and water run-off is reduced.
• If your lawn has a thick layer of thatch, aeration will punch through that layer and improve air, water and nutrient penetration. This will enhance the development of a deep root system. A deeply rooted lawn will be healthier and better able to withstand drought, disease and insect stress.

What is Thatch?

Thatch is a layer of undecomposed living and dead plant parts which restricts root development and forms a good harbor for disease and insects. Your Weed Man can probe your lawn to determine how thick your thatch layer is. A desirable thatch thickness is ½ inch or less.

How is aeration done?

Specially-designed aeration equipment consists of a series of hollow coring tines. When these tines are rolled over the lawn, they puncture the soil, systematically removing small soil plugs. The equipment is compact and can easily be used in confined areas. The cores of soil and thatch are pulled up by the machine and left on the lawn, as they contain beneficial microorganisms that will help to break down the remaining thatch. They will disappear back into the lawn in 7–10 days or with the first mowing. Raking the cores to break them up will speed up their disappearance from the lawn surface.

When should aeration be done?

The frequency of aeration depends on the condition of the lawn. Aeration may be done one or two times a season. It is usually done in the spring and in the fall when the soil is moist. Ask your weed man for an analysis and to make recommendations for a healthier more beautiful lawn!