We have identified Amy Worms in hundreds of lawn over the last two weeks. Army Worms are most common in Bermuda lawns, however we have see them in Fescue and Zoysia lawns. Army Worms can completely defoliate a lawn in a short amount of time. http://commodities.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass/georgiaturf/LandscapeAlert/Fall%20Armyworms%20(8-09).html
Brown Patch is a common summer lawn disease in our area. Brown Patch can affect all grass types but is most common on Fescue lawns. Brown Patch can become active during periods of high humidity, daytime temperatures above 80 degrees, and nighttime temperatures above 60 degrees. Extended periods of leaf wetness (10 + hours) also promotes this disease. This is one reason it is not recommend to water your lawn in the afternoon. Fungicide treatments are necessary to control Brown Patch once it becomes active.
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1233/B1233.html#BrownPatch
Follow this link for information about the current outdoor watering rules effective June 1st 2010:
http://www.maltalandscape.com/cgi-bin/MySQLdb?VIEW=%2Fevents%2Fviewone.txt&eventid=366
Dollar Spot is a common late spring and summer disease that can affect all grass types in our area, but it is most common on Bermuda and Zoysia lawns. Dollar Spot can develop when temperatures are between 60 and 85 degrees with high humidity. Extended leaf wetness (10+ hours) can also promote the disease. Dollar Spot m…ost often develops on lawns with inadequate soil moisture. Proper watering and mowing techniques will help to minimize this disease. In severe situations, fungicide can be applied for control.
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1233/B1233.html#DollarSpot
Having a quality lawn involves promoting healthy soil, adding plenty of the right nutrients, and using proper lawn maintenance techniques. Proper lawn maintenance is an integral part of having a beautiful, healthy lawn.
Mowing tips
The first rule of proper lawn maintenance is to always keep your mower blade sharp. Mowing with a dull mower blade will cause several avoidable problems such as excessive water usage, increased disease activity, and poor appearance. The second rule is to never cut off more than one third of the grass blade when mowing. Removing too much of the blade at one time causes stress and creates an environment ripe for disease.
Additional mowing tips include:
Don’t cut your grass too short, particularly with cool season grasses. In the case of cool season grass, higher mowing heights provide for a deeper root system and better stress resistance. Make sure to follow the mowing recommendation above for best results.
Bagging you clippings is not recommended in most cases (except for the first mowing of the season on Bermuda and Zoysia lawns when you will need to bag your clippings). Lawn clippings will quickly decompose and add nutrients back to the soil.
Mow your lawn in a different direction with each mowing. Changing your mowing direction each week ensures a more even cut since grass blades will grow more erect and will be less likely to develop into a set pattern.
Keep your mower’s blade sharp, which means having it sharpened several times during the mowing season. Keep several blades around so you’ll always have a sharp blade on hand.
Mowing Heights
Bermuda - 1″ to 2″ (1.5″ is ideal)
Zoysia - 1″ to 2″ (1.5″ is ideal)
Fescue - 2.5″ to 4″ (3″ is ideal)
Safe Mowing Tips
Mowing the lawn can be a weekly ritual for many Americans. However, each year nearly 80,000 Americans require hospital treatment from injuries caused by lawn mowers, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Avoid mowing when the grass is wet or when it’s dark.
The most common injuries were caused by strikes from debris, such as rocks and branches, propelled by the mower’s spinning blades. The study published in the April 2006 online edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, is the first to examine the extent and mechanisms of lawn mower injuries nationwide. The researchers also concluded that the number of injuries from lawn mowers is increasing, with the majority of injuries occurring in children under age 15 and adults age 60 and older.
Grass blades are made up of about 75% water. There are many factors that can influence the amount and frequency of water needed for a lawn. The soil type, the grass type, frequency of rain, temperatures, wind, and humidity all can affect the amount of water your lawn needs. Hot, windy days tend to increase the demand for water, while cool, cloudy days tend to decrease the amount of water your lawn needs.
Watering Guidelines
Most landscape irrigation systems have two types of irrigation heads: rotors (or rotating heads) and sprays (or stationary heads). Most of the time the rotor zones are in the turf areas and the spray zones are in the planting beds. Spray heads normally apply three times as much water in an area than the rotor heads. Always keep this in mind when setting your irrigation clock.
As a general guideline, lawns and landscape plants only need about 1 inch of water per week. It is best to water 1 to 2 times weekly early in the morning to achieve this goal. Watering for a longer period of time (30 min to 1 hour on rotor zones and 7 to 10 min on spray zones) less frequently soaking the soil to a 6” to 8” depth will promote a deeper root system and improve drought tolerance. Short frequent watering will cause shallow rooting. Shallow rooting will lead to poor drought tolerance and increase disease susceptibility. A can or measuring cup placed on the lawn while the irrigation is running will help you determine how long your irrigation system must run in order to apply the proper amount of water. Remember to subtract the amount of rainfall you receive from your weekly watering schedule. Over-watering you lawn can promote turf damaging disease, weed infestations, and overall poor turf health. It is always best to let your lawn dry out between waterings. If you notice areas in your lawn that continually stay wet, you may consider adjusting your irrigation or installing a drainage system.
When to water
It is best to water your lawn and landscape plants early in the morning before the sun rises. This will allow the water time to soak into the soil before evaporation can occur.
Watering during the sunny hours of the day in most cases is not recommended. You will lose as much as 50% of the water you put out to evaporation.
It is not recommended to water your lawn or landscape plants at night. Disease thrives in moist, humid environments. If your lawn stays wet for a prolonged period of time (10 hours or more), disease activity can be increased.
It is now time to scalp your warm season lawn (Bermuda, Zoysia). Scalping means to cut the lawn very short (1″ to 1.5″). This is very beneficial to your lawn. Scalping will not only help your lawn green up faster, but will also prevent a thick thatch build-up. This is important in preventing certain spring weeds that are uncontrolled by spring pre-emergent and thrive in lawns that have an excessive thatch layer.
When scalping your lawn make sure to use a sharp mower blade and bag your clippings. It is important to mow the lawn twice on the same day to scalp it, alternating the direction in which you cut. This will give you the best results.
Be careful when scalping a Zoysia lawn. Scalping a Zoysia too low at one time can cause damage to the lawn.
Follow this link for more information:
http://www.maltalandscape.com/cgi-bin/MySQLdb?VIEW=/events/viewone.txt&eventid=210
Cool season lawns (Fescue , Bluegrass) should be aerated and seeded every fall to stay thick and healthy. Unlike warm season lawns (Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede), cool season lawns do not spread and require overseeding to fill in thin or bare areas. Cool season lawns should be aerated and seeded between September and November for best results. This will allow the new seedlings time to mature and develop a strong root system before the cold winter months. This will also ensure a thick, healthy lawn the following spring. Seeding a cool season lawn in the spring is not recommended in most cases. Spring seeding can interfere with spring Crabgrass pre-emergent treatments and cause weeds problems later in the year. Also, the root system normally does not have time to develop and mature before the hot summer months. This will cause cool season lawns to be more susceptible to insects, disease, and heat stress.
How to aerate and seed your lawn
1) First, scalp your lawn down to a 1″ height with a sharp mower blade. This will allow better seed to soil contact. Make sure to bag the clippings.
2) Rake any areas that have a heavy thatch layer (1/2″ or more). A little thatch is ok. This will help to retain some moisture.
3) Core aerate your lawn. Make multiple passes on areas with sever compaction.
4) Over seed your freshly aerated lawn with a certified seed that is suited for your climate.
5) Water, water, water! Water your lawn for short periods of time (10 to 15 minutes) once to twice a day, just enough to keep the seed moist for the first 7 days. Do not let the new seedlings dry out. Once the seed germinates you can start adding more time to your watering schedule but cut back on the frequency.
6) Apply a high phosphorus fertilizer at germination. For example, 18-24-12 is a good choice. The fertilizer can be applied at the time of seeding, but I prefer applying it at or after germination.
I do not recommend using wheat straw on bare areas. Wheat straw can sometimes have weed seeds in it. This can lead to weed problems in the spring. I have found that if the lawn is watered properly, wheat straw is not necessary.
Spring is the perfect time to scalp your warm season lawn (Bermuda, Zoysia). Scalping your lawn will help prevent thatch build-up and promote quicker spring green-up. We recommend scalping your lawn down to 1″ and bagging your clippings for best results. Click here for more information http://apps.caes.uga.edu/urbanag/Home&Garden/indexFS.cfm?storyid=2594 .