Published: October 23, 2009 10:23 am      

Don’t get caught with dead patches of grass next Spring

As fall approaches and the weather becomes cool, most people are turning their attention toward college football highlights on Saturdays and becoming less concerned about the management of their home lawns. Homeowners should take some time this fall to decide if they are to treat warm-season turfgrass for two major diseases, spring dead spot and large patch, which typically appear in the spring.

This week we will focus on Spring Dead Spot. Spring Dead Spot is a common disease of bermudagrass and primarily occurs in highly managed residential, commercial, and recreational bermudagrass lawns in Oklahoma. Lawns that are seldom fertilized, irrigated, or receive herbicide treatments are less likely to develop severe levels of SDS.

In Oklahoma, SDS is most noticeable in spring and early summer as bermudagrass breaks dormancy. New symptoms of SDS do not appear in growing stands of bermudagrass in mid-to-late summer or fall.

Affected areas may range from inches to many yards in length or diameter. The turf in affected areas will be dead and tan or brown in color. Large circular, semi circular, or arcs of dead turf will be apparent. Affected plant parts, such as rhizomes, crowns, roots or stolons are dark black and rotted when removed from the soil.

As the patches expand and more dead area develops, weed growth within the patches during spring and summer months is common and may require the use of pre- or post-emergent herbicides.

To avoid SDS this spring there are a few management things a homeowner can do this fall. A homeowner should avoid late season applications of nitrogen fertilizers. It is generally recommended to not fertilize after Sept. 15 in Oklahoma.

Few effective fungicides are available for the homeowner to use, however, commercial pest control companies will have access to fungicides that control SDS.

Research has shown that a fall application of an effective fungicide will help control SDS this spring.

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability or status as a veteran and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

David Cantrell is the Extension Agriculture Educator for the Pittsburg County Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. COntact him by phone at 918-423-4120, or via e-mail at david.cantrell@okstate.edu.