Pest of the Month as seen in Jacksonville Florida Landcaping

Brown Patch

Florida grass is tough because it has to be. If it is not being attacked by Chinch Bugs, Grubs, Army Worms or being over fed the wrong kind of Nitrogen fertilizer in the heat of the summer it is infested with Brown Patch Fungus. Brown Patch Fungus is a cool season disease that is caused by a fungal pathogen. While it can affect several species of grass, it is most common in St. Augustine grass. The first thing you will notice is one or several small patches of browning grass. These patches may literally appear overnight and can consume most if not your entire yard in just a few days. Some greening will occur in the middle of the affected zone and will give you a false hope that it will all "green up" soon, but it won’t. Once affected it will stay looking bad throughout the fall, winter, and into the summer of next year. The fungal spores are in your grass all year long but only become active when the grass stays wet for 48 hours or greater and when the temperature stays around 73 degrees in the evenings. It attacks the leafs of the grass where it attaches to the stolons and does not affect the root system.

The most effective way to control this disease is by following good lawn care practices:

Avoid high soluble nitrogen fertilizer in late summer.
Irrigate only when the grass needs water.
Keep Thatch below 3/4 of an inch thick.
Aerate at least once a year
Provide good drainage
Mow at recommended height.
Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blades at one time.
Maintain a balanced fertilizer program for your grass.
Provide a proactive insect program for your grass.