Common Kalamazoo Lawn Problems and How to Fix Them
Every lawn has its own characteristics that make it unique. Depending on factors such as region, proximity to water, and local flora and fauna, lawns almost seem to cultivate a sense of identity over time.
However, there’s a downside to this: your current lawn may be experiencing issues that your past lawns have not, and you may not even know it. Take, for instance, diseases such as fairy ring disease. If you don’t already have experience with this strange condition, then you might not know what to make of it. And you wouldn’t be alone if you felt confused—medieval scholars used to believe they were caused by fairies dancing in a ring overnight.
Luckily, we have the knowledge now to understand where issues such as fairy ring disease come from and why they should be resolved. So today, we want to discuss 3 common lawn maintenance problems you might come across in Kalamazoo.
1. Dollar Spots
If you’re like most people, you may not know that dollar spots are an actual disease. These small brown patches of grass may instead seem like your turf is simply dehydrated or rooted in an area with few nutrients. However, this isn’t the case. Dollar spot is actually a fungus that affects turf all throughout the world. It’s particularly common on closely mowed turf, such as on golf-courses, and is quite and eyesore. However, the cure is simple.
The Fix: Dollar spots thrive on excess moisture, which is why those who try to water their “dying” grass can often make it worse. We recommend watering deeply and less often, so your grass can drink up without accumulating water on the surface. Additionally, you may want to wipe away any accumulated dew and water you find on dollar spots early in the morning.
2. Red Thread Fungus
Continuing the theme of fungi that make grass look dehydrated, red thread is another very common fungus in Kalamazoo. Like dollar spots, red thread thrives on excess moisture, which Southwestern Michigan provides in full every year. You can identify red thread because it causes expanding patches of brown-looking grass that have strings of reddish-pink fungus (the “threads”) running through it. If left untreated, this fungus can rapidly spread.
The Fix: Fertilize affected areas with a moderate amount of nitrogen. Though red thread spreads easily, it’s also cured pretty simply, and should be gone in a few weeks with consistent treatment. That said, take care not to add too much nitrogen fertilizer, since an excess of nitrogen can lead to worse fungi down the road.
3. Slime Molds
Slime molds sound like they’d be gross and, well, they kind of are. Like the others, these molds grow in places of excessive wetness, which improperly tended lawns have in spades. Unlike the others, however, these molds mainly just use grass as a structural support, which they use to grow slimy bulbs of “fruit.” Yuck.
Slime mold on grasses tends to look grey-ish, and adds a bumpy texture to leaf blades. These molds are particularly undesirable for their ability to spread to other, non-grass parts of your lawn, such as tree leaves, flowers, and other plant life that accumulates water.
The Fix: If you notice a small patch of slime mold on your grass, it may be best to let it be. Small patches usually go away on their own, and the cure might end up being worse than the disease. That said, if slime mold begins to reach larger quantities, you should step in. We recommend removing it by mowing or raking it, which either scrapes the mold off its structural support or removes the structural support entirely.
These are only a few of the diseases you need to look out for when performing lawn maintenance. If you want help keeping a trimmed, attractive lawn without the headache of learning all his information, then you may want to consider commercial lawn mowing services. Our experts here at MowCo have years of experience maintaining Kalamazoo lawns, and are ready to help with yours. Click here to contact us for more information.
