3 Reasons for Discoloration in Your Texas Lawn
Keeping up a lush, healthy lawn in Texas is rewarding for many homeowners. But various lawn problems commonly pop up in late summer to early fall that seem to ruin all your hard work. When brown patches appear in your lawn, it could mean a few things: lawn insects, lawn diseases, or even extreme weather. To help your lawn recover from stress and regain its rich, green color, you’ll need to know how to identify the issues in your lawn and how to fix them.
Common Lawn Pests in Texas
Tiny insects can do a great deal of damage to your lawn. Armyworms and white grubs are two common lawn pests that feed on the most important parts of your grass. They may be the culprit of patches of discoloration in your Texas lawn. It’s important to catch insect damage in your lawn as soon as possible to stop them in their tracks.
How to Identify and Get Rid of Armyworms
Mostly active during the early fall months, armyworms are caterpillar-like insects that march through lawns in large groups, devouring healthy grass blades in their path. Signs of armyworms include irregular brown patches of grass, with the grass blade looking chewed or unevenly cut. You may also notice more birds in the lawn, as they are natural predators for these unwanted feeders. They work quickly and they work hard. Armyworms should be treated with insecticide as soon as damage is present.
Lawn Grubs and Grub Control Tips
Grubs are another damaging lawn insect, but they work beneath the soil. The larvae of the more well-known Japanese beetle, grubs feed on the most important part of your lawn, the grass roots. If you notice brown patches of grass in your lawn or an increased presence of birds, skunks, raccoons, and other wildlife, you may have a grub problem. Another sign of white grub damage is loose or spongy turf because of damage to the root systems. Pull up on an area of stressed or spongy grass, and if the turf pulls up like a piece of carpet, you’ll need to treat it for grubs. You can treat grubs with preventative insecticides in late spring or early summer to target the egg stage of their life cycle, or they can be treated when active. But it’s best to call a pest control pro as soon as you can.
Lawn Diseases: Brown Patch Fungus
During late summer and early fall, brown patch fungus becomes a common issue for Texas lawns. Brown patch is a lawn disease that appears in small, circular patches in the lawn that can quickly expand in size. The diameter of the circles can range from a few inches to a few feet in size. Brown patch fungus appears as yellow, brown, or tan patches of grass with dark edges. Warm-season grasses in Texas, like St. Augustine grass, Bermuda, and Zoysia are most commonly vulnerable to this lawn disease. You can prevent this fungus with good lawn care practices like annual aeration, thatch removal, and healthy watering. Overwatering or watering too late in the evening can encourage lawn fungus development. If you notice this disease in your lawn, you’ll need to apply a fungicide application labeled for brown patch control.
Texas Weather: Heat and Drought Stress
The extreme heat of Texas summers can take a toll on your turfgrass. Hot days paired with long periods of drought cause lawns to become weak, stressed, and discolored by late summer. Drought stress is a common lawn problem for Texas homeowners and can be mistaken for other conditions. A lawn not receiving enough water will become dry and discolored, appearing like it’s transitioning into winter dormancy. The best way to avoid drought stress is to water regularly during the early morning. Morning watering limits evaporation from the Texas sun and allows the lawn to fully dry before sunset. Remember, it’s always better to water in longer, infrequent sessions, rather than short daily spurts. Deeper watering encourages stronger root systems!
Local Texas Lawn Care in College Station, Bryan, and NW Houston
Take the hassle out of your lawn care and consider hiring a professional lawn care provider to ensure your lawn is protected from insects and disease. Homeowners in Texas can trust Aggieland Green for high-quality lawn care, lawn pest control, tree and shrub care, and lawn aeration. Our team is happy to provide you with expert advice and recommendations along the way to further improve the health of your lawn. We offer weed control and fertilization plans as well as fungicide and insecticide treatments to rid your lawn of damaging infestations. We proudly service College Station, Bryan, NW Houston, Cypress, Magnolia, The Woodlands, and Tomball. Contact us today for a free quote!