How To Control and Prevent Brown Patch in Kentucky Lawns

Maintaining a lawn comes with a lot of work and responsibility. Homeowners spend a lot of money and effort each year trying to create the perfect yard. That’s why when brown spots show up out of nowhere it can cause great concern. The important thing is to not panic. Lawn diseases like brown spots are often telling you something more about your lawn. By being able to identify the brown spot you’ll be able to control and prevent it.

What is Brown Patch?

Brown patch is a common lawn disease caused by a fungal pathogen that affects cool-season turfgrass species such as tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and bentgrass. Brown patch is a foliar disease, meaning it only affects the blades, not the crowns or the roots. Outbreaks in lawns can result in thin, weak turf that may be susceptible to weeds and moss. Even a mild case of brown patch can ruin the uniform appearance of your lawn. 

What Causes Brown Patch?

Brown patch is most common during hot and humid weather when nighttime temperatures rise above 65 degrees F. Prolonged wetness caused by rain, poor soil drainage, or watering too late in the afternoon are also significant contributors..

How to Identify Brown Patch?

Brown patch isn’t easy to miss. If you have a pristine, weedless lawn you’ll notice it right away as a patch of brown or tan colored grass. The disease rots the grass from the base, causing them to dry up and die. The size of the patches can grow over time and merge with other ones, growing over several feet in diameter.

How to Control Brown Patch

Brown patch can kill and weaken your grass, leaving it vulnerable to weeds and other diseases.

The key to getting rid of and preventing brown patch is to ensure that your grass can dry out.

• Aerating: One reason that water may linger on your lawn is that your soil is compact. Compact soil occurs naturally over time from walking, mowing, and thatch buildup. Aeration can help cut through the thatch, loosen up the soil, and allow for the flow of water and air back into the soil.
• Overseeding: Overseeding is a technique used to build up your lawn’s resistance to pests, drought, and diseases. By overseeding your lawn with more resistant grass types such as Kentucky 31, it will be less vulnerable to brown patch.
• Better Irrigation Techniques: A lot of the time, brown patch is caused by human error. Water too much or too late in the afternoon can cause your grass to remain wet overnight. By changing the time of day you water can dramatically reduce your chances of brown patch.
• Trim Trees and Shrubs: Shade can certainly play a part in preventing your grass from drying out during the day. If there are places in your yard that receive little to no sun consider trimming or pruning your trees and shrubs to allow more sunlight. 

Hire The Professionals at Farison Lawn Care

At Farison Lawn Care, we have been providing our community with unmatched lawn care service for over 45 years. We have built a trust with our customers that keeps them returning year after year. You won’t get the same cookie-cutter lawns you’d get with the national brands. At Farison you get friendly professionals that are also part of the community that takes the time to get to know and understand your yard before coming up with a treatment plan.

If you want a beautiful Kentucky lawn this year, then call the experts at Farison Lawn Care. Call us at (502) 245-9422 or request more information on our site.