Take-All Root Rot - Everything You Need to Know About This Common Lawn Disease in Texas
It's never fun to discover that your lawn has succumbed to a lawn disease. Unfortunately, take-all root rot is one of the most prominent fungal infections in Texas that targets the roots of your grass and causes extensive damage. This lawn disease affects warm-season lawns and is caused by a fungus that survives in the soil and thatch layer. When it plagues your turf, take-all root rot will make its roots rotten and black and result in irregular, brown patches. The fungus becomes active when your lawn comes out of winter dormancy and thrives in warm, wet conditions and compacted soil with poor drainage. If this disease affects your turf, you want to hire pros to diagnose and eliminate it with a curative treatment.
What is take-all root rot, and how does it damage your lawn?
Take-all root rot is a lawn disease that commonly affects warm-season lawns in Texas, like St. Augustine and bermudagrass. It is caused by a fungus that survives in the soil and the thatch layer. Because of where the fungus is found, this disease primarily targets the roots of your grass. When your lawn emerges from winter dormancy, it can become active and start showcasing symptoms.
When your lawn is infected with take-all root rot, the grass blades will become yellow before turning brown and wilting as it progresses. Your lawn will also thin out, and the irregular patches of discolored grass can reach up to 20 feet in diameter. When you inspect your turf closely and look at the roots, you'll ...
How Often Should You Be Fertilizing Your Lawn in the Texas Summer Heat?
Some people in Texas don't think they have to fertilize their lawn in the summer because they have warm-season grass. Well, we're here to tell you that you should still be fertilizing your grass because the summers in Texas can be brutal—yes, even for your warm-season grass. The summers can get incredibly hot, so your grass will need an extra boost of nutrients from some fertilizer to survive and thrive. Administer a round of fertilizer at the beginning of summer to prepare your grass for the heat ahead. Then, apply more fertilizer at the end of summer to help your grass recover from the stress of summer. During the season, you’ll also want to ensure that you're getting rid of weeds so your grass can benefit from these fertilizer treatments! Continue reading to learn more about the importance of fertilizing your lawn twice during the summer.
Fertilize your lawn once at the beginning of summer.
Even though we commonly have warm-season grasses in Texas, the summer can still be incredibly taxing on our lawn. The heat can sometimes be too much—especially in July and August—and the rise in temperature can your grass to struggle. That’s why it’s best to prepare your lawn for this heat with a fertilizer treatment at the beginning of summer. This treatment will supply your turf with essential nutrients that will boost its heat resistance and strengthen its root development to help it survive the summer heat.
