Keep Prepping Your Lawn & Landscape for Spring… The Early Bird Catches the Worm!
Welcome lawn warriors! The sun is starting to shine in Houston and the promise of spring is in the air again. Hopefully, you’ve long put away the last of your Christmas décor as the winter cleaning frenzy is upon us. The fact that the new hot show on Netflix is about a lady teaching people how to organize and throw out their junk, tells us everything we need to know about spring fever and its imminent arrival!
There’s Still Work to Do Inside & Outside
Having spent the better part of last weekend cleaning out my closet and purging my shoe collection… I’m right there with you all! But remember, in all your scurrying to get your home inside-ready for a new season, don’t forget your outside lawn! The work we began last month to get your outdoor lawn space ready continues this month. For instance, let’s start with an attack on winter’s biggest lawn care culprit… Brown Patch! So, dig yourself out of the closet mess and get ready to tackle this long-time lawn enemy. As a matter of fact, you can only tackle this enemy with a gusto that can only happen in a New Year!
Identifying & Understanding Brown Patch
To really understand Brown Patch, we first must know what it is and what causes it. Brown Patch is a fungus that thrives in a damp and cool environment. So, if you’re wondering what’s causing those ugly brown spots in your yard, know that it’s the Rhizoctonia fungus… AKA Brown Patch! This type of fungus just seems to keep growing like that messy corner in your kid’s room! And especially during the cool wet winter months, it’s the most common fungus we deal with in the Houston area.
Brown Patch -vs- Your Lawn
Under the right conditions, Brown Patch likes to viciously attack St. Augustine grass. And once it gets going, it’s like you’ve unleashed the flu on your lawn. In fact, it will eventually infect everything in sight and make you want to curl up in bed to hide. However, if you see the signs of Brown Patch on your lawn, don’t ignore it. Instead, allow them to serve as indicators that it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Like the flu, you can cure your lawn of Brown Patch with fast treatment techniques. Have faith and follow us for the steps to a healthy new lawn again!
Avoid Excessive Watering
As anyone who lives in or around Houston knows, one thing we have in abundance is water! During the winter months, rain practically occurs here on a daily basis. Therefore, regularly watering your lawn isn’t really necessary this time of year. In fact, you could easily over water if you’re still running your sprinklers. That cool moisture can, consequently, create a breeding ground for fungus in as little as a few days. So, the very first thing you can do to fight Brown Patch is turn off your sprinkler system.
Yet, if you deem it necessary, just put it through a cycle manually, then leave it in the “off” mode. There may be times when you’ll need to water, like when there’s little rain during wintertime and it’s unseasonably warm. Overall, you ultimately want to keep your lawn as dry as possible because the rains and dew will be sufficient. Hence, think dry thoughts, and when it comes to watering a wet lawn – Just Say No!
Avoid Foot Treading
The next step to surviving Brown Path is to keep everyone off your lawn. Basically, it needs to be like a lava zone of danger until things start to turn around. Your lawn is in a very delicate state during winter, and even small dogs can do significant damage to it. In that, beware of pets and people treading on the grass. They can carry the fungus to any part of your yard that might otherwise still be healthy. Also, be sure to keep leaves from stacking or piling up in certain spots. This can further create a breeding ground for wetness and fungal growth. Thus, it’s important that you keep your lawn clear of debris at all times.
Basically, you’ll want to put your lawn on lockdown. We like to think of it as quarantining a kid with a stomach virus before it brings down the whole ship. Though this may seem drastic, it can save your lawn. Then, as the weather warms up, we can begin working on bringing it back to life and party-ready again!
Consider Innovative Treatments & Professional Care
Lastly, if you want to knock it out fast, you can treat your lawn with an aggressive Brown Patch remedy. Any local nursery will have the treatment in various forms, from liquid to granular options. Be sure to put on your gloves and follow the manufacturer instructions to a tee. These treatments can be hazardous. If gloves and masks aren’t your best look, give us a call at 281-839-0893. At Archer Lawn Services, we can quickly set you up with a professional and effective Brown Patch treatment.
Though Spring is right around the corner, winter could still rear its ugly head. In fact, at any moment, Houston could have a freeze warning and it wouldn’t be our last – Brrr! Therefore, we’ll talk about how to prep your yard for freezing temperatures during our next article. This way, you can hunker down and eat some chili in peace during a freeze – like all smart Texans!
If your lawn needs a much larger prep or re-design than you can handle, give us a call for a free consultation. We happily serve customers in the Woodlands, Spring, Tomball, Cypress, Houston, and Conroe areas. Allow Archer to give you the lawn makeover you envision just in time for spring and summer!
