What’s Up with Austin Lawns?
This has not been a typical Austin summer, which means we are not seeing our typical summer lawn problems (like damage from heat-loving chinch bugs). After a survey of an Austin neighborhood, here’s the scoop on what’s up with Austin lawns.
 
Green & Looking Good - If you used a natural or certified organic slow-release fertilizer or top-dressed with compost this spring, chances are your lawn looks just fine.  Any product that adds or encourages beneficial soil organisms helps promote healthy soil with lots of biological activity. These organisms break down and release nutrient sources slowly, resulting in a healthy, resilient lawn.
 
Too Tall for Its Own Good - There are many St. Augustine lawns that look great. If anything, they are growing too fast and need to be mowed a little more frequently. Remember the general rule about not removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. If you let your lawn get too tall before mowing, it will take longer for the clippings to decompose, creating conditions for thatch build-up that weakens the turf.
 
A Brownish, Yellowish Haze Over the Entire Lawn – Take a look at the top of an individual leaf blade. If it is ragged and jagged, your mower blades need to be sharpened. Sharp mower blades make a cleaner cut; the grass looks better and is healthier. Frayed leaf tips from a dull mower blade increase the chance of the fungus entering the plant.
Faded Yellow & Washed Out - Many St. Augustine lawns are looking a bit pale. These lawns probably haven’t been fertilized in the last year or they were fertilized with a highly-soluble quick release fertilizer that has dissolved and washed away or leached through the soil. Iron is the main micronutrient that helps grass look green because it is critical in the production of chlorophyll. Foliar application of a product containing iron sulfate or chelated iron is generally quicker than a soil application of an iron product. The best way is to resolve nutrition issues is start using slow-release, organic fertilizer products that help build healthy soil, which in turn releases existing, chemically-bound iron. Always read the label – many iron products will stain driveways and limestone. Check with your local Grow Green nursery to find out advantages and disadvantages of products they carry.
 
Yellow Circular Patches & Rotting Leaf Blades - If the leaf blades are rotting but the roots are intact the problem is likely brown patch, a fungal disease that prefers wet conditions and temperatures up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit -- very much like the last few months. The turf eventually turns brown and the leaf blades rot off of the runners. It is best to treat brown patch when it first shows up, so be on the lookout. In order for the grass to recover, even with the application of a fungicide, environmental conditions have to change --  it needs to stop raining and get hot!
 
Yellow Circular Patches & Rotting Leaves & Roots – If the leaves and the roots are rotting the problem is likely take-all patch. This disease is more aggressive than brown patch and harder to control; however, Texas A&M researchers have had decent results in the Dallas area by using sphagnum peat moss as a top-dressing. There is research to indicate it doesn’t like acidic conditions. Check this link for more detailed information about this study http://www.plantanswers.com/root_rot_fungus.htm
 
What to Do - The best turfgrass management practices encourage moderate growth and healthy soil. Soil compaction, thatch build-up, fertility imbalances, overuse of herbicides and improper mowing frequency or height can weaken grass and make it more susceptible to problems:
 
  • Aerate at least once a year to improve soil and reduce thatch build-up. Thatch is the perfect breeding ground for diseases and insects. Try to keep less than ½” of thatch. Aerating helps reduce soil compaction, assisting in a healthier root system.
  • Properly diagnose disease problems.
  • Check with your local nursery about other earth and people-friendly products that can help solve your turf problems.
  • Pick up a Grow Green Lawn Problems or Lawn Care fact sheet at your local Austin nursery or home improvement center or find it on the Grow Green website at www.growgreen.org