A healthy, vigorous lawn is beautiful and beneficial for the environment. A healthy lawn filters pollutants that would otherwise end up in our groundwater, cools the surrounding environment, and increases property value.
But what happens when excessive fertilizer rates and pest-management products are used in pursuit of a healthy lawn? If your lawn fails to respond to common fertilizer and pest-management programs, please call a professional!
Plant-parasitic nematodes are commonly-overlooked lawn pathogens. They also happen to be some of the more damaging. Lawn-damaging nematodes infect the roots of the grass. In turf, the grass is less able to properly uptake water and nutrients, and becomes more susceptible to disease and environmental stress.
One case-in-point is a lawn in Windermere that has been cared for by one of our competitors. For years this lawn has not responded to standard fertilization. A soil analysis and nematode assay revealed a high population of Lance nematodes infecting the lawn, as well as slightly low soil pH and low soil magnesium.
Nematode-infected St. Augustinegrass. September 2017.
We designed a care program based on the nutrients required and nematode infection. By providing a better growing environment and replacing areas too far gone, the lawn was able to recover nicely.
Same lawn following nematode-management treatments and proper care. June 2018.
Nematode management in lawns requires a comprehensive analysis of cultural practices, soil chemical analysis, and nematode population density determination. If nematodes are suspected as a limiting factors in the care of your lawn, we highly recommend consulting with a professional with expertise specifically in turfgrass nematology.
Lucky for us, our manager - Roi Levin - received his masters degree from the University of Florida specifically in nematology. Roi is available for consultations to help you with the care of your landscape.
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