Geometry and Your Lawn

It’s summer time in Montgomery County.  It’s been really hot and really wet.  While it’s a common perception to feel the lawn should have plenty of water and be green, the combination of excessive heat, humidity, and moisture create the perfect recipe for disease activity from Collegeville to Hatboro.

In order for a disease to develop, the ‘disease triangle’ must be present.  The disease triangle consists of three components: a susceptible host, a pathogen (cause of the disease), and an environment suitable for disease develop.  If any one of these three factors is not present, the disease will not develop.

There are several common diseases, such as dollar spot and summer patch, in Montgomery County given the high humidity, high nighttime temperatures, and significant amount of rain, which has kept the ground moist.

While fungicides can help stop the spreading, it’s best to manage the disease through proper fertility and cultural practices.  Here are some simple tips:

• Properly identify the disease.  Certain diseases are nitrogen deficient while other are aggravated by nitrogen.  Understanding which disease is present is key to proper management.

• Avoid light or nighttime watering.  Watering should be deep enough to saturate the root zone; typically 30-45 minutes per section.

• Manage your thatch.  Thick thatch, more than 1/2” will promote disease activity.  A healthy thatch layer is 2/10”.  Plan to aerate this fall to reduce thatch and relieve soil compaction.

• Considering seeding this fall with update varieties of turf to improve disease resistance.

• Manage your fertility.  Ensure your lawn is properly fertilized, consistently throughout the year.  Too much or too little fertilizer can promote disease activity.

There are many reasons the lawn can go brown in Montgomery County during the summer, proper diagnosis is key.  If it is an active disease, consider these tips to help manage your lawn through the summer stress.