It's summer, sing "rain, rain, go away, "every day if you want, but it's not going to work. The rainy season is here, and it won't be going away for a little while. All this water isn't good for your lawn. This blog goes over some of the things to look out for during the breaks in the storm.

Pythium root rot is a disease that affects all warm-season grasses. It thrives in wet and poorly drained areas. Off-color leaf blades and thinning of the lawn are signs of this root rot. The infected roots lack the fine hairs needed to take in nutrients. The good news is Pythium doesn't usually kill the lawn unless the area is underwater for a long time.
The best way to combat the rot is to mow at the correct height; remember to clip only one-third of the leaf blade every time you mow.

Take-all root rot is a worse condition. Unlike Pythium root rot, roots are short and black. Other symptoms are similar, so it's sometimes hard to distinguish one root disease from the other. Affected areas are usually 3 to 15 feet in diameter, and patches may occur throughout the lawn.

Early disease development goes unnoticed because it appears in the roots, and not many people inspect their rots very often. However, when we get a lot of rain, the disease becomes very noticeable. Sick grass begins to yellow and thins to the bare ground when it gets hot.


Another issue is Gray Leaf Spot disease. Besides wet conditions, this illness loves compacted soils with excessive nitrogen.
Symptoms include oblong straw/gray spots surrounded by a dark brown border. Spots may converge, and the entire leaf blades/shoots may die back, withering at the leaf tips. Severe infections will lead to thinning out of the lawn. The key to the management of gray leaf spot is to avoid using nitrogen fertilizers and herbicides. Mow this area last to avoid spreading the disease to other places.

If you suspect this disease is prevalent in your lawn, you can take a sample to a plant disease clinic.

The rainy season won't last forever, but your lawn problems might if you don't take care of these diseases. As you read, proper lawn maintenance is the best defense. ELT Landscape offers the best services in Central Florida. Our crews know to spot things like grey leaf spot disease before it gets out of hand. Call us today for a free estimate.