Unfortunately, my lawn has a lot of moss (if you look closely) this is because I’ve gone for the ‘wildlife effect’ i.e. too lazy to mow the lawn.
24.07.2023 - 12:29 / hgic.clemson.edu
Large patch disease is probably the most common and damaging disease of warm season turfgrass in South Carolina. The most susceptible turfgrass to large patch is centipedegrass, followed by St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass. Bermudagrass lawns are not as severely affected because with proper care, this turfgrass can outgrow the disease problem. The pathogen causing large patch (Rhizoctonia spp.) is more active in the soil during the fall after temperatures have dropped from the summer‘s heat and again in the spring as turfgrasses green up.
Initially, the symptoms in the lawn are circular areas that may be more yellow or orange. As the disease spreads, it infects and rots turfgrass roots, stolons (above ground runners), and the leaf sheaths (the site where leaves are attached). Soon the turfgrass begins to die, and the pathogen moves outward expanding the diseased site. The dying areas may have a smoky brown perimeter where the fungus is active.
The conditions that favor turfgrass infection are excessive nitrogen applications in early spring and fall, watering the lawn too frequently, mowing the lawn too low, allowing the thatch layer beneath the turfgrass to build up, and having a poorly drained lawn. Correcting these conditions may be sufficient to prevent large patch disease and aid in control if it occurs. Fertilizers should not be applied to warm season lawns after August 15th in the Upstate and mid-state of SC, and no later than September 1st along the coast. Please note that most winterizer fertilizers also contain nitrogen, and they, too, must not be applied after these dates. Reducing irrigation frequency helps significantly. Water no more than once per week in spring and fall, and only once or twice per week in
Unfortunately, my lawn has a lot of moss (if you look closely) this is because I’ve gone for the ‘wildlife effect’ i.e. too lazy to mow the lawn.
Moon pond water feature with pheasant – early spring at Studley Royal Ripon
As gardeners mature they enter a purple patch in their life and potentially in the garden. Some of the best plants with purple or coppery coloured leaves take several years to mature like the notional gardener. Amongst the favourites must be the copper beech and the many Acers with reddish leaves.
As the year passes, and as each new season settles upon us, we are blessed with abundant and various seasonal crops and produce. While in most mainstream grocery stores, we can now find our favorite foods all year round; however, many prefer to eat what is being grown specifically in that season. Here in South Carolina, entities such as Certified SC Grown is just one example of an organization that is working to bridge the gap between field and plate, making finding local, seasonal fruits and vegetables more attainable.
Want to know How Tall Do Snake Plants Get along with theBest Large Snake Plant Varieties? Keep on reading to know all the details!
South Carolina is a very special place. From the coast to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, South Carolina has a diversity of climates and landscapes. The diversity of climates allows for different grasses to flourish. Warm season grasses such as zoysia, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and bahiagrass flourish at the coast throughout the year, but those grown in the upstate go dormant in the winter. In the dormant stage, the grass turns brown and looks dead, but new growth will appear in spring. Cool season grasses, such as ryegrass and certain fescues, grow best primarily in the upstate but go dormant, or do not survive the heat of summer. Here too, the grass looks dead, with regrowth appearing as the weather begins to turn cool in fall and flourish through spring. Dormant grass still has live roots in the ground that require water, just not as much as when they are actively growing. Unless it has been uncommonly dry or windy, natural rain events are enough to sustain dormant grasses.
When I was growing up in S.C., we kids played outdoors, most days. The weather didn’t matter; I was all about being outside – running, biking, swimming, climbing trees, and exploring. I’ve always enjoyed the woods and creating trails and forts.
Winter is commonly thought of as a time of rest for many plants. Deciduous plants lose their leaves, and blades of certain turfgrass lawns experience die-back as the turfgrass goes dormant. Whether or not a turfgrass experiences dormancy depends on the species and where in the state they are grown.
Springtime color in the residential landscape is never lacking with the multitude of flowers of many species of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. However, autumn colors may be a bit more lacking in the average home garden. This is why I have included deciduous viburnums in our landscape design. Not only do many species have outstanding fall color, but most have beautiful clusters of red, blue, pink, or glossy black fruit. Additionally, for the native plant enthusiasts, there are many species of native deciduous viburnums from which to choose. Of approximately 18 deciduous species that grow well in South Carolina, six are natives.
It never fails that come March and April, the desire for many of our lawns to begin to breaking dormancy is met with the horror that the only things that seem to be green are the weeds that we have been ignoring throughout winter. This may include white clover, dandelions, chickweed, the painful lawn burweed, or so any other species. These weeds may be welcome to some homeowners as some serve as early pollen sources for pollinators, but they can also be a nuisance to others.
March brings springtime, and with the warmer temperatures, vibrant colors in the landscape like the lawn. Many lawns in South Carolina are warm season, like bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and zoysiagrass, which will start to transition from a tannish-brown color to a new green color. But while we may get excited when the grass starts to green-up again in the spring, there are some instances where springtime diseases can create patches of persistent off-color turf.
Do you dream of a lawn that is green year-round? Warm-season grasses turn brown in cooler weather, and although natural, some people turn to the practice of overseeding to maintain a green lawn year-round. While overseeding is done on golf courses and sports fields to mitigate traffic during the winter, in home lawns it is mainly done for aesthetics. A temporary rye lawn can be useful to control erosion, but the practice is not recommended for healthy, well-established warm-season grasses.