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Horticulture Principles and Practices

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TABLE 18–3<br />

Some Common Lawn <strong>and</strong> Turf Diseases <strong>and</strong> Suggestions for Their Control<br />

1. General problems (all grasses affected)<br />

Nematodes<br />

No chemical control<br />

Fairy rings<br />

No effective chemical control; remove infested<br />

patch <strong>and</strong> reseed<br />

Algae<br />

Use Mancozeb as needed<br />

Toadstools <strong>and</strong> mushrooms<br />

Drench spots with Dinocarp or Thiram<br />

Slime mold<br />

Use Mancozeb as needed<br />

2. Fusarium blight Avoid excessive thatch buildup; use Benomyl<br />

3. Brown patch (Rhizoctonia) Use Benomyl, Mancozeb, or Anilazine; avoid<br />

excessive nitrogen application<br />

4. Pythium blight (Pythium) Use Zineb or Thiram; treat promptly<br />

5. Dollar spot (Sclerotinia) Use Anilazine or Chlorothalonil<br />

6. Crown rot (Helminthosporium) Use Anilazine or Chlorothalonil<br />

Grass<br />

FIGURE 18–11<br />

lawn.<br />

Thatch in a<br />

Thatch<br />

Soil<br />

18.5.7 DETHATCHING<br />

Thatch is an accumulation of old, dead grass; bits of unraked leaf; <strong>and</strong> other plant material<br />

above the soil (Figure 18–11). Beyond just being unsightly, excessive thatch reduces<br />

oxygen <strong>and</strong> moisture entry into the soil <strong>and</strong> harbors pests <strong>and</strong> diseases. Warm-season<br />

grass species produce more thatch than cool-season species. When thatch accumulates<br />

to more than 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters), it should be removed. Lawns are dethatched<br />

when the grass is actively growing, which allows for quick recovery. A variety of<br />

dethatching tools exists, ranging from a simple thatch rake to motorized dethatchers.<br />

A dethatching rake is first run in one direction <strong>and</strong> then repeated in a perpendicular<br />

direction.<br />

Dethatching<br />

The removal of thatch.<br />

18.6 COMMON PROBLEMS IN THE LAWN<br />

In the May 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, the top ten lawn problems were identified<br />

as follows:<br />

1. Crabgrass. Being adaptable, vigorous, fast-growing, <strong>and</strong> competitive, crabgrass<br />

thrives best when the lawn is underfertilized <strong>and</strong> mowed too low. Corn gluten<br />

applied early in spring is an effective preventive measure. Other herbicides may<br />

be used. It is important to fertilize <strong>and</strong> water the lawn properly for the desired<br />

species to grow to keep the crabgrass in check.<br />

2. D<strong>and</strong>elions. D<strong>and</strong>elions spread quickly <strong>and</strong> are persistent in the soil, possessing<br />

underground structures for propagation. To kill the plant, the large taproots must<br />

be destroyed or pulled out. It is critical to control the plant before it flowers <strong>and</strong><br />

sets seed. Broadleaf herbicides such as dicamba <strong>and</strong> 2, 4-D are effective for<br />

chemical control.<br />

18.6 Common Problems in the Lawn 561

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