Whether you have been living in Massachusetts for many years or you are a new resident, if you are a homeowner, you want to have a nice lawn. Therefore, it is a good idea to be familiar with the common Massachusetts lawn diseases for which our lawns are known. Below are the five common lawn diseases that your lawn may encounter and what can cause them.
Common Massachusetts Lawn Diseases 1 – Brown Patch
Using a lot of water on your lawn can actually cause problems when you have the right conditions. The moist, hot weather for which Massachusetts is known during the summer often causes something called brown path. This disease can infect just about every type of grass and will create brown grass circles that are anywhere from 3-10 feet. The disease-causing fungus will overwinter in thatch and debris in the grass. When the temperatures rise and the conditions are right, this can suddenly appear without warning.
Make sure you’re when you are watering during the summer. It’s best to water during the morning. This way the water will have enough evaporation time so that it’s gone before the evening when that fungus will spread.
Common Massachusetts Lawn Diseases 2 – Dollar Spot
This is another kind of fungus that is caused by an overabundance of water. It usually will appear in the fall and spring when there are large fluctuations in the low and high temperatures each day. This fungus normally first appears as a dead grass patch around silver dollar size. As this fungus spreads, it will merge with some other patches and create huge dead grass areas in the yard. Lawn aeration is one of the best choices to avoid this problem since it will prevent water pooling. It also will bring oxygen to the grass’s roots. You can also prevent it by overseeding using another grass strain.
Common Massachusetts Lawn Diseases 3 – Powdery Mildew
This disease loves shade. It will turn your grass into a white color and it could look like an athletic field’s chalk lines. It’s worse in the early part of the fall and the late part of the spring. Trimming trees and overseeding using shade-tolerant grass will help with preventing future outbreaks.
Common Massachusetts Lawn Diseases 4 – Red Thread
This disease affects ryegrass and fine fescues more than any other types of grass. It looks like red threads that are similar in appearance to webs. As this disease spreads, it will kill your grass and your lawn will appear to be scorched. Watering your grass early during the day and fertilizing regularly can help with preventing red thread. Even though this can appear anytime during the year, it usually will spread fast during wet, cool weather.
Common Massachusetts Lawn Diseases 5 – Snow Mold
This is generally a problem that occurs because of not caring well for your lawn. That’s one reason why it’s important to rake your grass during the spring and the fall. Snow mold will grow beneath debris left behind such as grass clippings and leaf piles. After the snow melts during the spring and you are raking the leaves up, you might find web-like white spots on the grass. Even though it’s not very severe and will usually clear up on its own, it can be cured more quickly when you rake up any lawn debris and leaves and letting the area open to the air.
These are the five common Massachusetts lawn diseases that you should know about. If you are encountering any of these problems and you would like to have some help, contact us. We’ll be happy to give you a no-obligation quote and let you know what we can do.
