Turfgrass has taken a beating over the last few years. Lack of rain, excessive rain and prolonged drought have all contributed to many of the issues that most homeowners are experiencing. This would be a great time to discuss how to handle the issues that are showing up now and will be for the next month or so.
The dry weather and excessive heat can add undue stress to turfgrasses. This has been the case for 2 years in a row. Stress, in just about any plant, opens the window for insects and diseases. In other words, increased susceptibility is the result of stress.
Watering the appropriate amount is important to deter overall turfgrass health issues during drought periods. Turfgrass needs 1” of water per week during the growing season. It is important to make sure your irrigation system is working properly and efficiently. Do an irrigation audit. Check for pipe and valve leaks, breaks, clogged heads, sprinkler heads not working, misaligned heads, misting versus spraying due to too much pressure, water spraying onto hard surfaces and runoff into the street. Water your lawn deeply every 3 – 5 days allowing it to dry out between each water event if you decide to water at night. Regardless of when you water, too much water creates a lot of problems. Watering deeply will help re-train the roots.
Another tactic is to mow turfgrass as high as it will let you. St. Augustine grass can withstand 4”. Taller grass will create shade which will reduce evaporation of water from the soil and protect the roots from excessive heat.
One insect that creates quite a stir in the heat of the summer is the chinch bug. Chinch bugs have already been spotted in lawns around the county. Typically, you will see small dead spots flare up around the yard. The spots will be in the hottest and driest locations. Next to the sidewalk or driveway or any location that is fully exposed to the sun. These dead spots appear quickly and increase in size rapidly. For example, a 6 inch spot can increase to 2-3 feet within a day or two.
To check for chinch bugs, mix 1-2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent in 1 gallon of water. Pour the mixture over the marginally affected areas. Monitor for the bugs as they become irritated by the soapy mixture. They will come up to the surface. Another option, if you do not want to do the soap trick, is to get down on your hands and knees and separate the grass blades in the areas adjacent to the dead spots. The grass should still be green in the areas that you inspect and yet still be close to the dead spots. You will see movement of the chinch bugs and they scurry around. Chinch bugs can be treated with carbaryl, bifenthrin or permethrin. Just make sure to read the labels of the products and apply them according to the instructions.
If you would rather leave the identifying to us, you can bring some samples into our office. In order to properly diagnose lawn issues, an adequate sample must be submitted. Include a square of turf from the margin of the affected area so that both healthy and distressed turf is included. The sample should be at a minimum of 10 inches x 10 inches and have a layer of soil on the root system. You can also submit photos for diagnosis. This will help us narrow down the problem and provide a good recommendation for treatment.
Don’t forget to send your garden questions to
Plant Answers
at 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail:
mpotter@ag.tamu.edu
