How to avoid fall lawn and landscape issues

Happy October! We hope everyone was able to weather the recent wet and windy weather. We saw a few branches down and lots of leaves and smaller twigs on the ground. Removing debris from the lawn in a timely manner is essential to avoiding damage to the lawn this time of year. If debris stays down too long, it can restrict essential sunlight to the lawn and create areas for moisture and fungus to develop.

We are currently entering the fall transitional period where we see fluctuating temperatures. With the addition of excess moisture, fungus is bound to develop. Fungus can present itself in many ways, but the main thing to look out for is uneven discoloration in the turf. A lot of times you will have bright yellow and red indications in the blades, but other times it can just appear that the grass is dying in certain areas. The best way to avoid this is with a preventative fungicide application, but the risk can be minimized in other ways as well.

The main cause of fungus is excess moisture in the soil. It is most common in shaded areas that hold water or heavy traffic areas of the lawn. The easiest way to control this is by keeping your irrigation systems off until late spring. We recommend only watering once if we go two to three weeks with no rainfall. If possible, you want to avoid excess traffic across the lawn and building up low lying areas with sand or soil to reduce puddling. If you do still get a fungus, a fungicide treatment will be needed to avoid growth and spreading.

Aside from keeping an eye on fungus in the lawn, now is also a great time to make any necessary soil amendments for healthy growth next season. If you have not taken a soil sample from your property, it is highly encouraged that you do, as nutrients and composition of the soil vary yard to yard, even within the same subdivision. A good soil sample will tell you exactly what nutrients are at healthy levels and what needs amending for the following season. This time of year, pH and potassium levels are most essential. An application of potassium will give you a healthier, hardier root system to fend off cooler weather and bounce back from damage more effectively.

Lastly, we have started to see the cooler effects on our landscape plantings as well. Many trees, such as crepe myrtles, maples, Bradford pears and hydrangeas, have begun to drop their leaves and lose their color for the season. Other plants, such as camelias, are getting ready to flourish with new growth and blooms. Deep root feeding your winter bloomers will increase the health, size and number of blooms. You can also feed other plants at this time to help them better withstand the cooler weather. We would recommend avoiding high nitrogen and focusing mainly on potassium and micronutrients.

Zach Deloach is the owner of Lawn Doctor of Beaufort County.