What Your Lawn Needs This June
- totalweeds
- Jun 4, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Summer is in full swing! We're going to start spending more time in the yard, but your lawn may need some TLC first. So, let's go over a few things to keep in mind this month when maintaining your lawn.
Treating The Lawn
The grass is growing fast this month, but the weeds are growing faster. Rainy weather also brings more fungus into the lawn. Let's go over a few things to do in order to keep your lawn healthy and weed-free.
Fertilization & Weed Control
Treating the lawn will help keep your lawn looking nice and staying healthy. By controlling the weeds, you eliminate the risk of weeds spreading and taking over the lawn. Fertilizing will help grow full and stronger grass that can handle the summer weather and prevent fungi from growing.
How Should My Weeds Be Treated This Month?
Throughout June and early July: If you have Bermuda, Zoysia, Centiped, or Fescue grass you will need a slow-release fertilizer to feed the lawn. You'll also need a Post-emergent herbicide to spot spray for any new weeds.
Fungicide Treatment
During late spring and the summer months, many lawns in Georgia may experience fungus in the lawn. Due to the hot, humid climate, it creates perfect weather conditions for fungus to grow throughout the lawn. The optimal temperature for a fungus to grow is when nightly temperatures reach above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Fungus will damage your grass as well as shrubs and other plants. Having a healthy lawn is the best way to prevent fungi from inhabiting your lawn. If your lawn already has fungus, it's recommended to apply a fungicide treatment for the most effective results.
How Does Fungus Affect Your Lawn?
The most common effect fungus can have on the lawn is discoloration, typically, it can turn the grass brown. Fungus will also thin the grass and, in some cases, kill or cause permanent damage to your lawn.
Common Diseases in Warm-Season Grasses:
Dollar Spots look like brown spots but is the size of a silver dollar. The reason for this disease is commonly due to poor drainage and soil conditions. These typically appear in the spring when temperatures reach above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This disease is commonly mistaken for brown patch disease. The best way to distinguish one from the other is by looking at the leaf blade. Dollar spots will travel straight across the leaf blade instead of in patchy sections. Unestablished grass such as sod or newly seeded grass is more susceptible to diseases. Better weather conditions, along with maintaining a healthy lawn, will help the lawn recover. However, treating the lawn will help prevent the fungus from spreading and allow it to begin recovering.
Brown Patches are larger brown patches in the lawn that can give the appearance of scalped or dying grass. The patches form during periods of heat and humidity. The number one cause for this is poor drainage. It's hard to tell them apart from brown patch diseases, and the best way to tell them apart is by looking at the grass blade itself. Brow patch diseases will appear blotchy across the leaf blade instead of straight across the blade of grass. New turf such as new sod or newly seeded grass will be more susceptible to this disease.
Spring Dead Spots is a fungus that infects the roots and causes the grass to rot. It's common in Bermuda grass that's over three years old. Typically, they will grow in the same spot in the spring and recover in the summer. Howeve,r if not treated, it will continue to grow in larger sections throughout the winter and early spring.
Common Reasons For Fungus Growth:
Poor drainage
Large water intake
Humid climates
Shaded areas
Compacted soil
Thatch build-up
How to Prevent Fungus from Growing in Your Lawn
Aside from treating fungus, the primary way to prevent it from growing in your lawn is by maintaining a healthy lawn.
Common ways to maintain a Healthy Lawn:
Mowing the lawn regularly helps drainage and decreases thatch build-up.
Getting at least one aeration a year helps with compacted soil.
Watering in the mornings helps water drainage and moisture levels during warmer nights.
Fertilizing and controlling weeds to help keep the grass strong and healthy.
Treating weeds and fungus is no easy task. The more you maintain these issues, the easier it will be to treat them. At Total Lawn Care, we have formulated a 9-step service with high-quality, kid and pet-friendly formulas for a more efficient and safe way to take care of fertilization and weed control. Each step is created to maintain weeds year-round and fertilize to promote healthy grass. If you're around the Winder, Georgia area and have weeds or think you may have a fungus in the lawn, give us a call!
Insect Control
By now, most insects have come out of hibernation and may be giving you and your lawn issues. At this time, we have begun to notice grubs transforming into beetles. These beetles affect your lawn similarly to their grub form and eat the grass in your lawn.
From Grub to Beetles:
Over the past few months, many people may have dealt with grub on the lawn. Grubs come out of hibernation in early spring and live under the lawn. These grubs eat at the root systems of the grass and can do a lot of damage in large numbers. Some people may even experience rodents digging throughout the lawn to eat the grubs in the ground. Grubs are a form of larva, and when left untreated, they will begin transforming into beetles. Once they have transformed, they will come out from underground and continue eating the grass on your lawn. Grubs and beetles can cause some of the fastest damage to your lawn. It is best to treat these insects before they can lay more eggs for seasons to come.
The species of beetles will be determined by the type of larvae they once were. The most common type of larvae is the White Larvae.
Types of Beetles From White Larvae:
June Beetles
Japanese Beetles
Chafers
Dung Beetles
If you're dealing with pesky insects in the lawn and live around the Winder, Georgia area, give us a call and have local professionals take care of the insects for you.
Weekly Mowing
From June through August, it is recommended to mow the lawn once a week while the lawn is in its optimal growth period.
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How Should My Lawn Be Mowed This Month?
During peak growing season for warm-season grasses, the lawn should be mowed weekly in order to maintain a nice-looking and healthy lawn. Warm-season grasses should be cut at 2 inches. Some people may not know, but warm-season grasses like Bermuda are only green on the top third of the grass blade. Meaning, when you mow it less frequently, you may end up with brown sections throughout the lawn. By mowing every week, you will be cutting less green grass off your lawn and can maintain the grass height more easily. Cutting the lawn more frequently will also cause less thatch build-up on the lawn.
Watering
During these summer months, its recommended to increase watering to 3-4 times a week for 15-20-minute sessions. This will help the grass continue to grow during drier months and help the lawn from burring in hot and sunny conditions.
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