[KGL Landscaping]

We believe without doing an analysis of your turf, its called brown patch...... This creative name describes the general symptoms caused by various ailments, whether it is chinch bugs, nematodes or the other
numerous diseases that attack St. Augustine grass. One has to investigate more closely to distinguish which culprit it might be.
With brown patch disease, symptoms begin as 6-12 inch diameter off color patches that turn yellow, then reddish-brown, then
brown to straw-colored . These patches may merge and may expand several feet in diameter. Often, there may be
rings of yellow/brown turf with green centers. Also, turf at the outer margin of an infected patch will be dark and wilted, this is the
active zone of the pathogen as it spreads outward. To distinguish this fugal disease from other ailments, check the root zone area of
the leaf blades. This pathogen causes a black rot at the juncture of the stem and leaf blade.
This disease becomes active when temperatures drop below 80 degrees F., 73 degrees is optimum and, surprisingly, it is inactive
during the hot humid summer conditions that one would typically think a fungus would thrive in. It shuts down when temperatures
go above 90 degrees F. Infection occurs during periods of high humidity or excessive moisture, which we have had several days of afternoon showers, for 48 hours or more. Soluble
nitrogen fertilizer applications, greater than 1.1 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. put the turf at risk. Thatch buildup, more
than 0.75 inch, also creates a disease favorable habitat.
What to do: Avoid excess soluble nitrogen during November-April. Use slow-release sources of nitrogen and apply a balanced
fertilizer containing equivalent amounts of potassium, preferably as a slow-release form also which can be purchased at most nurseries or big box home improvement centers. Reduce watering to once per week to
lower the available moisture level. Keep records of areas where this disease appears. These high activity areas can be targeted
with fungicides first as it is not always necessary to spray the entire lawn. However, fungicides work best when they are applied as
a preventive, that is, before the fungus pops up or during early stages of infection. Applications should reduce spread if the
infection is caught early. Commonly recommended fungicides are propiconazole, thiophanate methyl, mycobutanil, or
azoxystrobin. Some of these are available as bottled products that can be attached to and applied with a garden hose. Or you can call in a professional maintenance company and have them do an analysis. We hope this information proves to be helpful. At KGL Landscaping we are a design, build, and maintain company. This information is supplied by our maintenance division.