Gardeners warned of ‘destructive’ lawn disease that ‘quickly spreads’ and how to avoid it
Maintaining a beautiful, healthy lawn during the summer can sometimes be challenging. Not only can the weather play a significant factor, but the presence of lawn diseases, pests and weeds can worsen the situation further.
Lawns need care all year round, however, more so during summer as this is when garden growth resumes.
One thing that stops lawns from staying healthy in summer is “destructive diseases” like brown patch fungus, warned Cheryl Harper, managing director of Greensleeves.
She noted that there are several lawn diseases to be aware of, but the most common one is brown patches in lawns.
The expert claimed: “Brown patch fungus is a destructive disease that quickly spreads and damages large areas of the lawn.
“It lies dormant in winter plant debris, infecting the lawn during mowing, and thrives in the humidity of summer, affecting all grass types.”
The disease starts as circular brown patches ranging from a few inches to several metres in size.
Thankfully, Jonathan Hill, a lawn specialist from Rolawn, has shared the “best approach” to avoid brown patches.
The first tip is to mow the lawn “properly” as tall grass stays wet for a long time which is ideal for the disease to thrive.
For gardeners who have brown patches on their lawns, they should try to mow the grass when it is dry and not wet. This will “reduce” the spread of the disease.
Don't miss...
Five steps to follow to prune plants ‘correctly’ and ‘avoid common mistakes’ [TIPS]
Gardener’s top five vegetables to plant by August that require ‘minimal effort’ [INSIGHT]
‘Precise’ area lavender plants need pruning - ‘crucial’ for ‘healthy growth’ [EXPERT]
Gardeners should also be fertilising their lawns “properly”. Brown patches caused by fungi will vary in terms of how they respond to fertiliser. Some attack when fertiliser is low, and others when it is too high.
The “best recommendation” is to fertilise your grass just enough to support good growth.
Last but not least lawns need to be watered well and gardeners need to make sure that it drains well.
Jonathan explained that fungi need water to attack your turf, so the longer turf is wet, the “more brown patches will develop”.
Soil that does not drain well will stay wet longer and cause lawns to “grow poorly”.
If the soil starts to puddle for hours after rainfall, it may even become “compacted”.
To repair brown patches in lawns quickly, gardeners can reseed them and it doesn't take long.
Before doing so, compost should be used in these areas to add nutrients back into the soil.