Is Overwatering Killing Your Grass?

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Over the last week I have received numerous pictures of the same story….yellow spots in the lawns. My first question is, “How often and when do you water your lawn?” When the response is “everyday” during a period of long hot and wet days, I suspected overwatering has been creating a disease-prone situation. Then I proceed to explain that a good thing – water – can be a bad thing. FUNGUS is taking over in lawns across America. WHY? Because too much water, high heat, and stress are a growing field for fungus.

Homeowners get rather confused when I explain yellowing, dead spots and even spots on the grass blades are a fungus. The stereotype fungus in a homeowner’s mind is a mushroom, but, in fact, a fungus (disease) in a lawn takes many forms. Take a look at these pictures from our SoilKit customers who have shared pictures with us of their lawns. We have a gallery growing and we love getting pictures from our customers!

Images of overwatered grass from SoilKit customers.

How do you combat fungus? Best lawn practices:

1. Water correctly – Watch your water schedule. Avoid overwatering by watering less frequently (twice a week) deeper, instead of more frequently and lighter. Also, run the water in the morning and not at night. Now, I like to tell homeowners to use common sense and the bottom of their feet as test sensors. Keep an eye on all the rain fall and when in doubt, take your shoes off and walk across your grass, if it is crispy, it needs a bit more, if it is soggy, pull back on the water.
2. Always mow with sharp mower blades and only take 1/3 of the blade off with every mow. You don’t want a bunch of thatch collecting.
3. Make sure the lawn nutrient levels are in balance for optimal plant uptake – remember here – too little or too much can be a bad thing. Always keep an eye on the recommendations from your regular lab-based soil tests and follow a healthy annual lawn care fertilize schedule.
4. If you suspect a lawn disease, stop by your local garden center and get a good fungicide to treat the area.

Share with us pics of your lawn fungus! We would love to hear more about your problems and help you in finding a solution. Email those pics to info@soilkit.com!