Year old lawn...why not as nice when it first came in?
I had my front law raked and hydroseeded last sprint. I also had an irrigation system installed. By the fall it looked great. It was dark green and full. However, it does not look as good now. It is lighter green and a lot of bare spots. I have a national lawn care company maintain the lawn. They came out the other day to fertilize. They told me the lawn was full of red thread and that the fertilizer would take care of it and the green would come back. My concern is with the the thickness of the grass. I don't understand how the lawn could have been so full last fall and now tons of bare spots. Will the grass fill in once the red thread is gone? If not what is the best way to bring it back? Topseeding in the fall? aerating in the fall? Topseeding seems like a lot of work since I have a fairly big front yard and the bare spots are small but everywhere. Any advice would be great. Thanks.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Here's a really nice article on red thread lawn disease from Purdue University:
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedi ... -104-W.pdf
It says red thread is a fungal disease that some varieties of lawn grass become vulnerable to in conditions of slow growth or low nutrition. It says it is mainly cosmetic. "Red thread symptoms create an undesirable appearance, but crowns and roots are not infected, so plants are not killed and turf eventually will recover."
"Fungicides are not usually advised for red thread control on residential turf for various reasons. The disease is largely cosmetic. Unless environmental conditions that promote disease development persist for extended periods, the turf will recover — usually with no lasting effects of infection. Outbreaks usually occur in spring and early summer, about the time that the benefits of fall-applied nitrogen fertilizer run out. In lawns with a history of red thread, supplemental nitrogen fertilizer (0.2 pound of N per 1,000 square feet) in mid- to late spring should reduce disease severity and will promote more rapid turf recovery."
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedi ... -104-W.pdf
It says red thread is a fungal disease that some varieties of lawn grass become vulnerable to in conditions of slow growth or low nutrition. It says it is mainly cosmetic. "Red thread symptoms create an undesirable appearance, but crowns and roots are not infected, so plants are not killed and turf eventually will recover."
"Fungicides are not usually advised for red thread control on residential turf for various reasons. The disease is largely cosmetic. Unless environmental conditions that promote disease development persist for extended periods, the turf will recover — usually with no lasting effects of infection. Outbreaks usually occur in spring and early summer, about the time that the benefits of fall-applied nitrogen fertilizer run out. In lawns with a history of red thread, supplemental nitrogen fertilizer (0.2 pound of N per 1,000 square feet) in mid- to late spring should reduce disease severity and will promote more rapid turf recovery."
You also have to remember that grass normally goes dormant in summer. It grows slower, and turns and the color will be more yellow. It is all part of the cycle. Grass needs more water in summer to stay green.
Some grasses fare better than others so it can also depend on the type of grass you have.
I had to switch out my emerald zoysia for dwarf St. Augustine because the city's tree cast so much shade it could not grow. The city finally removed the tree, I had only been asking for it since 1989, after half the tree broke and fell into the street from heart rot. Both emerald zoysia and St Augustine are tough warm season grasses that tolerate drought well. St. Augustine is easier to walk on and hides nutgrass better, but emerald does not require as much mowing. They are also resistant to most fungal disease and army worms would prefer to chew on bermuda or blue grass. Emerald zoysia does make tufts or lumps in the lawn and it is pokey to walk or sit on, but the easy maintenance is a plus. I have minimal lawn anyway.
Some grasses fare better than others so it can also depend on the type of grass you have.
I had to switch out my emerald zoysia for dwarf St. Augustine because the city's tree cast so much shade it could not grow. The city finally removed the tree, I had only been asking for it since 1989, after half the tree broke and fell into the street from heart rot. Both emerald zoysia and St Augustine are tough warm season grasses that tolerate drought well. St. Augustine is easier to walk on and hides nutgrass better, but emerald does not require as much mowing. They are also resistant to most fungal disease and army worms would prefer to chew on bermuda or blue grass. Emerald zoysia does make tufts or lumps in the lawn and it is pokey to walk or sit on, but the easy maintenance is a plus. I have minimal lawn anyway.