dcpinner
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:45 am
Location: Peak

Help with Brown Spot or Summer Patch

Hey guys, I'm not sure which fungus it is (guessing brown spot or summer patch), but it forms a ring about a foot to a foot and a half in diameter and it spreads each year and it appears around late July in my Emerald Zoysia grass.

This will be the third year I've treated my lawn with grainular and spray on fungicide. I add Potassium to my lawn every year b/c that is supposed to help against disease. It was a dry year last summer and the fungus still showed up. So I'm guessing it doesn't matter if it's moist or not for it to appear (I don't have a sprinkler system). Does my lawn need more aeration b/c it is a red clay soil...I could add organic matter to help with structure?

I also am wondering if the "diazanon" like stuff that I use to kill insects and ants and grubs on my lawn may be contributing to the problem....could the insect killer be killing the good micro/marcro organisms that could keep this fungus in check? If so, much advice is needed in any way shape or form.

Dcpinner

MaineDesigner
Green Thumb
Posts: 439
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 am
Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b

I'm not a turf expert and if you are growing Zoysia grass you are way out of my region of familiarity (where is Peak?).

"I also am wondering if the "diazanon" like stuff that I use to kill insects and ants and grubs on my lawn may be contributing to the problem....could the insect killer be killing the good micro/marcro organisms that could keep this fungus in check?"

This is very likely to be at least part of the problem along with the fungicide you've been spraying. When you have a near monoculture coupled with a wildly disrupted soil ecosystem you have a recipe for disaster. To start you will need a comprehensive soil test that measures pH, CEC, available P & K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, (and perhaps Zn & B), the amount of organic material and ideally some measure or measure of biological activity. Here are some testing resources:
[url]https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/soil-lab.html[/url]
Stop the chemical warfare immediately. A top dressing of thin layer of good organic compost is probably a good idea. Plug aeration is also probably a good idea. If you a can afford it I would try to find a good organic or IPM turf consultant for advice - this is likely to take some time to unravel and in the near term (this year and perhaps next) your lawn may look worse before it starts looking better but an expert may save you some time. Sadly, in my experience most garden centers are almost completely useless when it comes to technical advice.



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