To fertilize or not?

[ProCareLS]

I'm in northern Ohio, and we've been getting plenty of rain this season. One of my accounts lawn has brown patches, and basically looks as if it we've been in a dry spell. Do I just need to give it a dose of weed & feed, or is that not a good idea this time of year?

With all the rain, I don't know why it looks the way it does.

Any ideas?

[Elwood]

It sounds to me like a disease or fungal problem. Without a photo, it is very hard to diagnose, but I would check it out. There are treatments for things like this, but they are costly. The other way to look at it is, if it is let out of control, serious damage can occur and treatment is a lot cheaper than repairing the damage or a total lawn renovation.

If you are unfamiliar with disease and fungal problems for the turf, get in touch with your local extension office, they can help you with diagnosis and recommend treatments.

[Phil Nilsson]

ProCareLS

You can identify at this link ... select a PDF that best describes and scan through color photos ... go way down the page to the BP series ...

http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/publicat.htm

Good luck,
Phil

[Seascape]

Red Thread has been a big problem here in ohio this year. This may be what you have.
mike

[Alpine Naturescapes]

If the grass is KBG, it is often fungus like suggested, or a pest. If you grab the grass, and pull, and it easily pulls up, it is probably a pest. Look around in the top 1 inch of root layer for white grubs or sod webworm catepillars. The billbug grubs are basically done feeding now, and are lying in the lawn pupating into adults, which don't do near as much damage to the lawn. In this case use a good winterizing fertilizer to help the lawn recover. Basically too late to treat, but if the infestation is bad, you may want to. Merit will kill the adults, but you need a license in all the states I know of to treat with chemicals - either for pest or fungus. If you don't have a license, you can treat pests with nematodes. Hope this helps:-)

[CCLS]

1) Identify the Pest.

2) Determine which horticultural practices if any play a role causing the pest to arise.

3) Treat problem accordingly.

If you have a fungus or insect problem, weed and feed will not cut it. If you are treating weeds, then use the correct product.

What applications have you already done this year?

How much nitrogen have you put down in previous applications?

Have you closely inspected the brown spots? If so, what have you found?

Post a picture if you can, this will help identify the problem and allow us to further advise you on how to treat it.

[Woody]

Alpine:

Here in Ohio, you have to be licensed to use ANY pesticide. And yes, as crazy as it sounds, nematodes qualify.

Woody