Do you have circular patches in your grass? It may be suffering from Take-All Patch. Here are a few facts about this disease and how it is best treated from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
Circular patches up to 2 ft. diameter; light-brown to straw colored; may form a ring as result of turf recovery in center or invasion of off-type species; patches grow after few years; yellowing of leaves with often die; turf becomes thin as roots, nodes and stolons become infected and die; roots become rotted so damaged stolons easily pulled from the ground, similar to white grub damage; regrowth very slow; during summer months, weakened infected turf will continue to decline.
Suggestions for controlling this include:
- Reduce soil pH to 5.5 to 6.0
- Avoid use of alkaline soil amendments
- Improve soil drainage
- Maintain water balance
- Aerification program
- Use of acidifying fertilizers
- Balanced fertility program
- Raise mowing height
- Do all you can do to prevent stress on turfgrass
- Use a preventative program in Fall and Spring (Fall applications probably more effective)
- Very important to water fungicides in as deep as you can
- Replacing the turfgrass without applying a fungicide will only result in the infection of this disease to the new sod.
