Neb. Nothing makes a Nebraska homeowner prouder than a perfectly manicured lawn of lush, green grass. With some preventative maintenance, homeowners can keep summer turf diseases from destroying the fruits of their labor, a University of Nebraska plant pathologist said. Summer temperatures and moisture conditions create the perfect environment for two potentially damaging turf diseases, summer patch in bluegrass and brown patch in tall fescue. Later in the summer, when it is hot and dry, the grass dies of drought and heat stress because of the weakened roots. When the plants begin to die, the damage shows up as roughly circular patches of brown turf that can be several feet in diameter.
Most spots are one foot to two feet in diameter.
The turf generally is matted in affected areas, giving a pockmarked look to the lawn. Once the damage is done in the summer, fungicide treatments are much less effective. The time to treat summer patch is early May, Watkins said. Granular products also can be used, but these should be applied only when the turf is dry and then irrigated in. A second application of fungicide should be made in 28 to 30 days.