We spend thousands of dollars on our lawns, and hundreds of hours of work to make them beautiful, but sometimes there just is no protection against a common lawn fungus, and it can take months to bring our lawns back from an attack.  So be proactive; mow and water regularly, and learn to recognize the signs of a fungal attack so that applications of a fungicide can save your lawn and help your wallet.

Common fungus types are the following:

Fairy Ring: 
Bright green circular areas that appear to be growing more rapidly than the rest of your lawn are probably fairy rings, a fungus that often occurs after an extremely rainy period.  If the fairy ring consists only of mushrooms or puffballs, with no stimulated grass growth, simply rake off and dispose of these fungal fruiting structures. If handling the mushrooms, wash your hands when done. 

As serious injury to the turf does not occur often with fairy rings, the most practical method of dealing with them in lawns is through a cosmetic approach. Disguise the symptoms by providing adequate water deep into the root zone, and by applying moderate rates of fertilizers. This will increase the vigor of the surrounding grass to the level more like that of the grass in the fairy ring. Excessive application of water or fertilizer should be avoided as either may contribute to other turf diseases or stimulate fairy ring development. More frequent mowing may make the difference in height between the grass of the fairy ring and adjacent grass less conspicuous.

In rare cases where complete eradication of a fairy ring is necessary, the sod and underlying soil in a band 40 to 55 cm (approximately 15-20 inches) in front of and in back of the ring can be removed to a depth of 20 to 90 cm (app. 8-35 in.), depending on the extent of the development of the ring. The resulting hole should be replaced with clean, preferably sterilized, topsoil or soil mix. New sod or seed can then be established where the fairy ring was removed. Soil fumigants are sometimes effective for eliminating fairy rings, but this treatment must only be done by a licensed pest control applicator who is qualified to safely use toxic fumigants.

Dollar Spot:
That straw-colored spot the size of a silver dollar in your lawn is a fungus that thrives on dry, undernourished lawns.  Appearing as small, white cobwebby spots in the morning that turn brown later in the day, it is best treated by application of a sulfur fungicide to the affected areas every 3 to 5 days until the spots are gone.  After treatment, apply frequent, light applications of nitrogen to aid your lawn in its recovery, and follow up with regular mowing to cut off the tips of the infected grass, eventually eliminating the fungus.

Pythium Blight:
This particular fungus presents as a blackened, water-soaked appearance of patches of grass in your lawn.  During humid weather, you may also see a cottony growth also known as cottony blight or grease spot. Prevention is your best method of avoiding it; water your lawn in the early morning instead of the late evening.

Rhizoctonia blight:
Also called brown patch or summer patch, this is a fungus that kills circular patches of the grass up to 2 feet in diameter.  It flourishes in warm temperatures, especially with damp conditions caused by thatch, and St. Augustine grass is particularly vulnerable.  Apply a sulfur fungicide to the infected areas every 3 to 5 days until the symptoms improve.  To avoid reccurrence, remove underlying thatch with a rake or a dethatcher, avoid applying heavy doses of nitrogen fertilizers, and improve drainage.

This is by no means a complete list of lawn fungals, but the common themes of over-watered lawns, dry lawns, and poorly maintained lawns can lead to unwanted fungus.  If you see what you think may be a problem, identify the condition, and treat accordingly.  Our garden center experts are here to help you grow and maintain a beautiful and healthy lawn. 

Barbeque season is in full swing! Are your yard and garden in shape for your family and guests? It's still not too late to take some steps that will help your garden look not only presentable, but terrific.

Besides a thorough clean-up--removing weeds, piled-up debris and other unwanted materials--make sure your shrubs get a light pruning for shape. Now, survey your garden and focus on empty spaces between shrubs. Fill in these spots with additional shrubs of the same variety or an attractive ground cover. Next, add color if space permits; plant borders of summer-blooming annuals around your barbeque area.

If you barbeque on a patio, pots of annuals placed strategically around dining areas or pool can make a huge difference, even more so if you feature a focal plant in the center of the pots, such as a potted rose or some ornamental grass.

Add a mulch to any blank soil spaces left. For a finishing touch add some blooming hanging baskets, a garden statue, or perhaps a small fountain. Make sure to leave some space for the barbeque grill, of course! Now your garden is ready to welcome the barbeque season. Bon Appétit!

The Japanese beetle was first discovered in the United States in Riverton, New Jersey, in 1916. It spread rapidly in the United States and has now become a pest in more than 20 states. More than 400 plant species are susceptible to attack by this pest.

The Japanese beetle is brilliantly colored, oval, and less than half an inch long. Wing colors are coppery, and the body is a beautiful metallic green. The adults feed in the daytime from early June to Labor Day. They devour leaves as well as flowers on many ornamental plants, shrubs, vines and trees. The leaf tissue is eaten between the veins so that the foliage looks somewhat like lace. Beetle grubs feed on plant roots, attacking mainly lawn turf but also damaging the roots of many other crop and ornamental plants.

When populations of adult beetles are too high to pick by hand or when damage to desirable plants in your landscaping is noticeable, you should treat the plants to bring the population down to a manageable level with an insect spray.

Treating ornamental plants will also help reduce the numbers of eggs being deposited in the soil close to or under your lawn, but it is not a substitute for controlling Japanese beetle white grub infestations as a stand-alone pest control method. For that, we recommend a yearly application of a time-release insect control product, which will both control and help prevent damaging infestations in grasses.

Blossom end rot happens not just with tomatoes, but also with peppers, squash and watermelons. There are a number of reasons for blossom end rot, all of which start because the plant has an inability to obtain calcium from the soil or the soil is deficient in calcium.

Blossom end rot is a sunken, dark area on the blossom end of the fruit, at the end opposite the stem. As the fruit develops, the rot area enlarges and can grow mold in the damaged area.

A number of factors can contribute to blossom end rot, in addition to calcium deficiency. These include irregular watering, soil mineral imbalance, root damage, broad temperature swings, or even high soil salt content. To compensate for some of these, deep water regularly instead of lightly watering daily; mulch to keep moisture in the soil; avoid high nitrogen foods that encourage foliage growth but not flower growth; avoid using fresh manure (once the plants are in the garden) because it is high in salt content.

But most important of all is the lack of calcium in the soil. To prevent blossom end rot, feed your vegetables regularly with a vegetable food high in calcium. On existing plants showing blossom end rot, spray the foliage and fruit with a calcium spray.

A selective weed killer is a product that is typically used to either prevent or control certain types of weeds, without harming grasses or the plants that the chemical is applied on or around, and must be applied exactly as directed. A non-selective weed killer is a product that will damage or kill whatever it is applied to. Once a non-selective product has been applied, it’s damage cannot be reversed.