Fungus in TV Yards

[justjim]

We are currently up north for a summer "vacation". (mistake as its been hotter here than in TV) About 3 weeks ago I received my weekly report from my House Watch people regarding a brown spot in my front yard. Also, talked with my neighbor a day later about the same. I called Stellar, my yard people, and they went out and treated what they called a FUNGUS. My house watch followed last week with some pictures. Yard does not look good. It has now been treated twice by Stellar and the fungus is on the side and also some in the back yard. Stellar tells me that its quote "all over The Villages and may be airborne." The sod was laid in January 2012. Anybody having this problem? :(

[mulligan]

If you google zoysia problems, you'll see that the fungus spores are always in the lawn, and with the right conditions, they'll bloom. Treatment with a fungicide is supposed to solve the problem. We'll see..

[Happinow]

We have Stellar as well and had the brown "fungus" spots. They came out and took a look at it and told us it was a fungus. They treated the fungus. Then another person from Stellar came out and said it wasn't fungus and it was chinch bugs and treated for that. In the end, I think it was cinch bugs and not Fungus but they also said that the fungus was airborne and everyone in the neighborhood could get it.

[KeepingItReal]

....

[CarGuys]

We are currently up north for a summer "vacation". (mistake as its been hotter here than in TV) About 3 weeks ago I received my weekly report from my House Watch people regarding a brown spot in my front yard. Also, talked with my neighbor a day later about the same. I called Stellar, my yard people, and they went out and treated what they called a FUNGUS. My house watch followed last week with some pictures. Yard does not look good. It has now been treated twice by Stellar and the fungus is on the side and also some in the back yard. Stellar tells me that its quote "all over The Villages and may be airborne." The sod was laid in January 2012. Anybody having this problem? :(

Stellar knocked it out as I reported it fast, Neighbor looks like he is going to loose his- yard

I am also treating by spreader with products from lowes.

Nasty stuff. Rumor of it traveling on the lawn mower blades from yard to yard as they are cut?

[mulligan]

My neighbor makes her lawn mowing person clean his mower with alcohol before mowing. She has no problem so far.

[justjim]

If you have Zoyia it could be mole crickets, I had brown spots and treated for fungus but it remained until I realized it was really mole crickets and treated with a pesticide rather than a fungicide. I think chinch bugs hit St Augustine really bad..:mademyday:

Thanks for the information. Iam getting in touch with Stellar immediately to see if they have treated for mole crickets. I sure don't want to replace my yard. Fungus or something else----- it could be real expensive to replace your entire yard! :ohdear:

[quirky3]

I've had similar experiences with my Florida lawn. The minute I see a yellow ring in my lawn, I arrange to have fungus treatment applied, and it usually works. Sometimes over-watering (or a lot of rain) can contribute to that. Also, lawn services use the same equipment on many lawns, so it is easy to spread fungus or bugs that way. But the good news is that it is all treatable. Try to notice and catch it early.

[gomoho]

So if you are paying a company to treat your lawn, call early when a problem is detected, they fail to control it, and you lose your lawn. Is the company you have been paying responsible to replace your lawn?

[justjim]

I've had similar experiences with my Florida lawn. The minute I see a yellow ring in my lawn, I arrange to have fungus treatment applied, and it usually works. Sometimes over-watering (or a lot of rain) can contribute to that. Also, lawn services use the same equipment on many lawns, so it is easy to spread fungus or bugs that way. But the good news is that it is all treatable. Try to notice and catch it early.

I understand TV started putting in a strain of Zoysia in all yards about six years ago or so. It was suppose to be better than the St. Augustine. But I have a good friend in Village of Lynnhaven who got some of the last St. Augustine and he says he has never had any kind of problems with his grass. His yard has always looked great. :boxing2:

[Happinow]

A few of our neighbors have Fertigator to fertilize their lawns and it looks really nice. They hook up an additional fertilizer to your sprinkler system so it fertilized each time you irrigate your lawn. There is a hook up fee and a monthly charge. Looks like it is worth it.

[quirky3]

So if you are paying a company to treat your lawn, call early when a problem is detected, they fail to control it, and you lose your lawn. Is the company you have been paying responsible to replace your lawn?

I never had that problem! The lawn care companies have been very responsive, and the only lawn I've ever seen that had to be replaced was over-fertilized in hot weather by the homeowner, and it turned all brown and died.

[asianthree]

so far so good with our lawn

[shcisamax]

We have lots of mushrooms.

[Bogie Shooter]

My neighbor makes her lawn mowing person clean his mower with alcohol before mowing. She has no problem so far.

what a waste of Jack Daniels!:)

[mulligan]

Actually, they use cheap Tequila

[Parker]

We have St Augustine grass and have brown spots that our landscape company Massey treated for chinch bugs. One good sized patch is quite dead, some other spots a little peaked but hanging in there. So it isn't just zoysia. Anybody have Bermuda grass? Bermuda does very well in California, but how about here?

[jimmemac]

I have stellar also when I came down here about 4 weeks ago my lawn has similar problems but I have to say that Stellar had already treated the problems even though I wasn't here to see it or report it. Lawn really looks pretty good now thanks to them.

[FoPAA]

Massey said our brown spots were due to heat and dring and that cinch bugs would infest the spot area. They treated for cinch bugs and the rain brought some of it back. Spots seem to be back at same place now.

[courtyard]

The best lawn I've ever had was one that was Hydroseeded. (It is a planting process which utilizes a slurry of seed and mulch. The slurry is transported in a tank, either truck- or trailer-mounted and sprayed over prepared ground.)

Also, I've tried using Sod in our backyard, but got a lot of weeds and crabgrass throughout.

[shcisamax]

We just look like the lawn is like thinning hair. Some parts are really scarce. Massey said we just need to water it more but i am wondering why it isn't uniformly thin. Now I am wondering if it is fungus.

[justjim]

"Fungus is absolutely a problem this time of year ... Heat, humidity, and rain are all a recipe for fungus problems in lawns and the unfortunate thing about it is that you CANNOT prevent it.... But we absolutely can treat it... The two fungus problems we are seeing is called "large patch and dollar spot" most lawn problems right now are fungus related.. It is airborne and many times lays dormant in the soil until the right conditions appear. If ANY Stellar customers are having this problem, we are probably on top of it but please take advantage of your FREE/UNLIMITED service calls."

Thanks
Marty Rouse/Owner
Stellar Residential Services , LLC:BigApplause:

Thanks for the information. Fungus I'm not so much worried about but if its chinch bugs I think they can completely destroy your yard. How can you tell the difference??

[CFrance]

This is great information. Thanks for the help. Also, I'm glad that you are keeping an eye out, especially for those of your customers who are out of town for the summer. Like us!

[rubicon]

A way to test for cinch bugs is to bury a can level with the ground next to the area of concern. Then fill it with water to 3/4 of the can. If you have cinch bugs activity you will see them floating in the can of water.

I suspect residents living in Sumter County and watering once a week as suggested by the water utility are depriving their lawns.

[justjim]

Looks like two different lawn treatment companies disagreeing about the proper treatment for the yard! Well, doctors often disagree----so do auto technicians and we could go on and on. I really appreciate all the thoughts and ideas. A second opinion will certainly be in order if improvement of my yard by my lawn treatment company is not soon. Thanks.

[gomoho]

Massey was buy today for regular fertilization scheduled - asked the tech what they thought was going on with all this brown and dead stuff in the lawns. He said definitely a water issue. So what really is the answer? Surely someone can give a definitive. Master Gardeners "where are you" on this?

[gomoho]

The cause of "brown spots" in lawns will be different for every lawn. To lump all "brown spots" under one umbrella and label it "drought" is foolish. One " brown spot" in one lawn could be billbugs, one lack of water etc, one fungus, one soil content, one grubs, one chinch bugs, one billbugs, one nematodes (lets not forget those guys) and yes they exist and yes we have found them in the villages, or one "brown spot" could be a mixture of two or three things. Common sense is telling us (or should be) its more than likely not just one thing causing ALL of the "brown spots" we are seeing. Not to mention.... am I the only company/ individual that has noticed a increase in rainfall of late? when questioning what is truth, do some research; keep us companies honest. There are many resources online (but be careful, make sure they are legit sources; not some "do it yourselfer" guessing.) books, suppliers, etc. Happy gardening out there. Have A "Stellar" weekend all.

MArty Rouse / Owner Stellar

And that is why I requested the Master Gardeners in The Villages weigh in on this. And yes we have had a good amount of rain, but isn't our soil mostly sand which simply allows the water to flow through not capture it like topsoil would do. I have noticed even after a really good rain, in this heat it only takes a few days and the lawns begin to show signs of stress. The rain fills the aquifers and ponds which gives us access to water our lawns twice a week now, but unless that rain could be turned on like a scheduled irrigation system it is still critical to water when needed.

[Donvito]

I have lived in TV for almost 5 years with Zoysia grass and have had no problems with it nor has any of the houses around me.
I don't recomment St Augustine grass because it's has thicker blades and doesn't look as good and is not as drought tolerant. I had it in South Florida for 11 years.

[justjim]

I have lived in TV for almost 5 years with Zoysia grass and have had no problems with it nor has any of the houses around me.
I don't recomment St Augustine grass because it's has thicker blades and doesn't look as good and is not as drought tolerant. I had it in South Florida for 11 years.

Donvito: It was about seven years ago that TV quit using St. Augustine and went to a strain of Zoysia. As OP I am happy to report that the fungus was treated twice and yard is looking much much better. Good news NO BUGS! On that I will..... :beer3: