Crabgrass
Turf Care Mole Man offers crabgrass control and this is one of the most feared grasses a home owner can get. It is very important that crabgrass is treated in the spring . We treat for crabgrass starting in late March and run through mid May. Crabgrass can be successfully treated with a pre-emergence product until soil temperatures reach 65 degrees. There are several things a home owner should know to help stop crabgrass.
1. A thick lawn will help stop the germination of crabgrass.
2. Mowing at the proper height is very important. Our recommendation is 3 to 4 inches in length.
3.Proper watering is a must: Avoid light frequent watering of the lawn. This promotes a thin lawn while providing the ideal watering conditions for crabgrass.
4.Follow a regular fertilization program to help thicken your lawn.
5. Bare spots in the lawn should be filled quickly to help choke out the crabgrass.
Crabgrass will not be fully noticed until July and not in the spring. Often homeowners incorrectly identify tall fescue as crabgrass and since tall fescue is a perennial grass pre-emergent won’t effect it.

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa

With regular watering of home lawns throughout much of the growing season, many turf grass diseases, once problems only on golf courses and recreational turf areas, now appear commonly. Perhaps the most important of these is dollar spot.
Symptoms and signs
On golf courses cut very short the disease appears as white or tan spots of turf about the size of a silver dollar. Hence the name dollar spot. On home lawns cut 1 to 3 inches dead areas can be 2 to 4 inches in size. These spots can run together, producing large areas of dead turf. Affected turf initially show yellow-green blotches. These affected areas will progress to a light straw color with a reddish-brown margin. Occasionally a white web can be seen covering the turf that is affected in the early morning. Dollar spot can occur anytime from early to late summer. Dollar spot will reach peak activity when the air temperatures are in the high 70′s and low 80′s and under high humidity. The most severe cases will occur when turf receives closely spaced irrigation. Dollar spot is more severe when the lawn lacking nitrogen or when it is growing slowly.
Disease cycle
The fungus spreads most of the time from grass clippings. However it can be carried by water, wind, shoes, and lawn equipment. It is thought that the disease will lay dormant infected plant tissue.
Cultural control
Regular lawn fertilization applications of slow release fertilizer will help minimize dollar spot severity. It is also very important to irrigate deeply and less often watering in the morning between 6am and 10am allowing your turf to dry during the day.
Chemical control
On irrigated turf with persistent dollar spot problems fungicides are very effective. Fungicides are almost always applied on a curative basis for controlling dollar spot. Both contact and systemic fungicides are effective in controlling this disease.

Fairy Ring, various Basidiomycetes (Mushroom fungi)

Symptoms and signs
Fairy rings typically appear as rings of dark green and fast-growing turf or they can also appear as rings of slow-growing or dead turf. The bands of affected turf are around a foot in width or larger. The affected area can form continues rings from 3 feet or more. The first visible evidence of new fairy rings is usually a cluster of mushrooms or toadstools. The mushrooms usually appear at the outer edge of the rings in late July or early fall during periods wet weather.
Disease cycle
Fairy rings are produced by colonies of mushroom fungi that live in the soil or thatch. Fairy ring colonies obtain food from decaying organic matter and grow outward radically usually increasing in size yearly. The dark ring of grass is thought to be caused by the nitrogen substances produced by the breakdown of organic material.
Cultural Control
Try to maintain a steady rate of growth in your turf stand. Mow frequently to minimize the difference in grass vigor between the rest of the lawn. Make sure grass maintains the proper amount of water without being to wet. Very seldom does fairy ring kill or perminatley damage your lawn.
Chemical Control
Attempts to control fairy ring with fungicide drenches or soil fumigation have met with little or no long tern success. However proper fertilization will mask the distinct dark green ring

Grubs
There are several types of white grubs that feed on the roots of lawn grasses. all of them can cause severe damage if left untreated.
OUT OF SIGHT…OUT OF MIND
Grubs live and feed in the soil. It’s easy to miss them as they gradually cut the roots out from under your lawn until brown patches begin to appear and the grubs are finally discovered.
Pull back the turf if you suspect grubs. If the lawn pulls up easily (like new sod), you may find white grubs in the top inch or so of the soil.
SPRING AND FALL FEEDERS
Grubs are larval (or worm) state of many types of beetles. The beetles lay their eggs in your lawn, and the newly hatched worms work their way through the thatch and into the soil, where they feed on roots of grass plants. Most beetles lay their eggs mid to late summer, and the young grubs do their greatest damage during the fall months.

Necrotic ring spot, Leptosphaeria Korrae

Necrotic ring spot is one of three patch diseases caused by root pathogens that are problems of cool-season turfs. The other two are summer patch and take-all patch. Though not all caused by the same fungus, these diseases have similar symptoms. These fungi attack the roots and crowns in a similar manner.
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms of necrotic ring spot appear as circular, ring-shaped, or serpentine patches of dead or dying turf. Affected areas may be as small as a few inches to over a foot in diameter. These patches may sometimes blend into one another or stand alone as dead rings. The affected turf appears yellow or red, and then will a light tan as the disease progresses. The roots and crowns in the affected plant are usually rotted and healing is very slow. Necrotic ring spot seldom occurs in newly planted turf but can occur on turf that has been sodded. The disease usually will begin in the fourth or fifth year after planting and become progressively more severe.
Disease cycle
Necrotic ring spot grows on the surface of grass roots for most of the growing season without causing visible damage. When conditions become favorable for the disease, the fungus attacks and destroys the roots. It is not known if the spores cause the spread of the disease however it is known that environmental conditions will favor the signs and spreading of the disease. Normally the disease will be brought on by cool moist conditions with the temperatures of 50-70 degrees.
Control
To keep Necrotic ring spot to a minimum it is very important to keep the turf from being stressed. During times of extended drought the turf should receive approximately .15 inches of water a day and you should not water during the hours of 5pm and 6am. Watering during this time will allow there effected roots to survive. Dense turf with heavy thatch should be aerated to reduce thatch. Grass should be mowed at 2 ½ to 3 inches and never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at a time. Heavily damaged areas can be over seeded with perennial ryegrass which is highly resistant to this disease. Chemical fungicides will provide some control to the disease however treatment should only be done if the disease continues to spread and had not shown improvement.

Phythium blight, Pythium aphanidermatum

Pythium blight, also known as grease spot and cottony blight, can be highly destructive turf grass disease, especially on bent grass and ryegrass. Several outbreaks can completely destroy the grass within a few days if the weather conditions are right for the disease.
Symptoms and signs
Pythium blight first appears as small, irregularly shaped spots ranging from 1inch to 4 inches in size. Leaves appear water soaked then shriveled. Diseases areas fade to a light brown or gray color. Groups of the effected spots usually join together. Frequently the affected areas will form streaks and usally is affected by the presence of surface water. With high humidity in early morning or throughout the day diseases turf may be covered with a white cobwebby mold.
Disease cycle
Pythium fungi may survive along time in the soil. Disease development from the first infection can move very rapidly. Pythium is primarily a warm wet weather disease. Disease development will be most rapid when air temperatures from 85 to 95 degrees. Pythium can develop and spread very quickly and usally moving down a sloped area.
Cultural controls
In problem areas satisfactory plant growth maintained by proper fertilization applications provides the least risk for the disease. The proper blend of blue grass and fine and tall fescue help fight off this disease. Proper water and air drainage are important for susceptible areas.
Chemical control
Fungicide applications can be used however with proper watering it should not need to be done. However when the weather and temperatures cause the disease to start fungicides should be used.

Red Thread, Laetisaria uniforms and Pink Patch

Symptoms and signs
These two diseases present similar symptoms and appear as irregularly shaped patches of blighted grass. From a distance, affected areas have a reddish or pink cast to them. These diseases are usually restricted to the grass blades and stems. Areas effected are usually about the size of a volleyball and can be through out the lawn. The grass when looked at looks like it is a fine thread and red in color and effects the to ¼ of the plant.
Disease cycle
The fungi lives over winter as a dried gelatinous mycelium covering on dead leaves. The disease is easily moved by mechanical means. The fungus becomes very active when temperatures are between 65-75 degrees with prolonged periods of rainy or humid weather.
Cultural controls
Where red thread or pink patch occur patience with adequate nitrogen levels to ensure the proper growth of the plant are important. The area that is effected should be mowed normally however grass clippings should be bagged and disposed with properly. When watering it is very important that the grass has adequate time to dry during the day.
Chemical control
In most turf situations these diseases are not severe enough to warrant a fungicide treatment. Occasionally however pure stands of ryegrass or fescue may become severely blighted during wet periods. If this occurs a fungicide treatment may help minimize symptoms.

Gray and Pink snow mold, Typhula incarnata

Symptoms and signs
Snow mold diseases occur during the winter/early spring under snow cover. There are two more common types of snow mold are pink or gray. This disease is usually first noticed in the spring when snow melts. The most noticeable symptoms are areas of white or pink crusted circles of dead grass.
Disease cycle
Snow mold germinates in fall and produce growth beneath the snow cover and infects the turf. Snow mold seldom occurs except under snow cover when the soil is not frozen. In most cases the disease kills the grass but does not kill the root or grass crown.
Cultural control
Snow mold usually can be managed successfully in your lawn without the use of fungicides. Keep turf mowed well into the fall to avoid areas of long grass. Unclipped grass tends to fall down and mat when snow falls. Try to avoid large areas of piled snow from driveways and sidewalks. When symptoms appear at snow melt rake the infected areas to break up the crusted turf or turf can be permanently damaged.
Chemical control
If snow mold tends to occur even though the cultural practices are correct, fungicides may be used. Apply fungicides prior to the first snow fall in early winter. In many areas this would happen around Thanksgiving and a single application should be sufficient.

Summer Patch, Magnaporthe poae

Summer patch , sometimes called Poa patch, occurs on Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue lawns and grounds.
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms of summer patch on lawns appear identical to necrotic ring spot. The disease will appear suddenly and can start out as small as 2 inches and up to 12 inches. In severe cases the rings will blend together and may destroy the lawn.
Disease cycle
The fungus colonizes in the grass roots and advances through the plant and will cause the plant to turn straw colored. Summer patch commonly occurs in midsummer during extended periods of hot weather followed by wet weather or heavy irrigation. This disease will not appear during cool weather unlike necrotic ring spot. Summer patch is usually observed in areas that receive heavy traffic, poor air circulation and inadequate drainage.
Cultural control
Since summer patch is a root disease, cultural practices that promote good root growth will aid in reducing disease activity. Increased aeration and improved drainage on compacted soil will alleviate some of the problem and help the turf better resist the disease. Proper mowing height will also reduce the fungus chances of survival.
Chemical control
Chemical control in home lawns can be done if the disease is advanced however in most cases it is to expensive to do.