Large Patch Fungus
Mitigation Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Large Patch Fungus In St. Augustinegrass Lawn
Thank you for considering our Large Patch Fungus Mitigation Program for your lawn. This disease recurs annually and appears quickly in otherwise healthy lawns. With such a dramatic change in your lawn, you are likely to have plenty of questions about this very common disease.
The aim of our Large Patch Fungus Mitigation Program is to reduce the severity of Large Patch disease in your lawn. While Large Patch Fungus may occur in your lawn even with the additional fungicide applications, its incidence would be greatly-reduced. This program does not guarantee that Large Patch Fungus will not infect the lawn.
The following frequently asked questions and answers pertain to Large Patch Fungus Disease and the Mitigation Program that we offer in the Central Florida area.
The aim of our Large Patch Fungus Mitigation Program is to reduce the severity of Large Patch disease in your lawn. While Large Patch Fungus may occur in your lawn even with the additional fungicide applications, its incidence would be greatly-reduced. This program does not guarantee that Large Patch Fungus will not infect the lawn.
The following frequently asked questions and answers pertain to Large Patch Fungus Disease and the Mitigation Program that we offer in the Central Florida area.
Questions Pertaining to the Mitigation Program
Why did i get this offer letter in the first place?
You received our Large Patch Disease Mitigation Program offer letter because we have noted that Large Patch disease was problematic in your lawn in the past. Knowing that this disease will recur again, we like to give you the option for systemic fungicide applications that are particularly effective in managing and mitigating Large Patch Fungus.
Shouldn't my current services take care of this problem?
With your standard Lawn Care Service, we absolutely apply effective fungicides that target Large Patch Fungus disease in your lawn. That said, the fungicides that we apply through the Large Patch Fungus Mitigation Program provide longer systemic prevention for this disease, are applied more frequently, and cost much more than the fungicides used for our standard services.
If you are going to treat for this disease while you are already here, then why would I need this extra program?
Our customers' preferences vary. Many people prefer to do everything possible to mitigate Large Patch Fungus disease. Others accept that Large Patch Fungus is part of the course and accept the fungicide applications that are included in our Lawn Care service as sufficient.
My friend, who is also a customer of EPLS, got the letter as well, but their price is different.
The charges for this extra service is dependent on the size of your lawn.
If i decide to go ahead with your large patch fungus mitigation program, will you treat only infected areas or the entire lawn?
The entire lawn will be treated.
how many applications of systemic fungicide are included with this extra service?
Three applications of systemic fungicides are included. Application timing depends on soil temperatures and past Large Patch Fungus infection history.
ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL WATERING OR MOWING INSTRUCTIONS SPECIFICALLY PERTAINING TO THESE APPLICATIONS?
There is NO NEED to water-in the systemic fungicides immediately following the respective applications. If rain or irrigation occurs following the application, that is perfectly fine. We ask that you try to NOT mow the lawn immediately following the application. Mowing the next day is fine.
I SIGNED UP FOR THIS EXTRA PROGRAM, BUT LARGE PATCH FUNGUS IS STILL INFECTING MY LAWN. WHAT'S GOING ON?
The aim of this program is to mitigate the virulence of Large Patch Fungus disease in your lawn. Often, despite the applications of the best fungicides, Large Patch Fungus still infects the grass, but typically to a much lesser extent.
I signed up for the Large Patch fungus mitigation program but changed my mind. can i get my money back?
As stated in the offer letter, we do not offer a money-back guarantee for the Large Patch Fungus Mitigation Program. However we know that things happen and situations change. Just give us a call and we can discuss your particular situation.
General Questions Regarding Large Patch Fungus
Brown Patch or large patch, which is it?
Until a number of years ago, the common name of the disease was Brown Patch. Recently, the common names "Large Patch" and "Brown Patch" were assigned to differentiate the disease based on the the fungus (Rhizoctonia solani) strains that cause the disease. Disease occurrence by strains that infect mostly northern turfgrasses were assigned the name "Brown Patch", while disease occurrence by strains that infect southern turfgrasses were assigned the name "Large Patch". There is a rare strain of Rhizoctonia solani that infects southern turfgrasses in the summer, and causes "Large Patch" disease.
i've been told that my lawn gets this fungus because i'm over-watering. True or false?
Turfgrasses become infected by Large Patch Fungus because the fungal pathogen (Rhizoctonia solani) that causes the disease, is in the soil. Over- or under-watering will not remove the fungus from the soil. That said, excessive watering or rainfall will definitely exacerbate the virulence of the disease.
How often should I water?
Specifically with respect to lawns infected by Large Patch fungus, or with a history of Large Patch fungus infection, it is important to water your lawn, or sections of your lawn, on an as-needed basis. This means that portions of your lawn that begin to show stress due to lack of water would receive supplemental irrigation, while other areas would not necessarily benefit from supplemental irrigation. We know that this is often impractical and sometimes impossible. The point is that the lawn would benefit from a more tailored-approach to irrigation rather than just a "set it and forget it" approach. In situations where supplemental irrigation may provide excessive watering, the Large Patch Fungus Mitigation Program can be very beneficial.
How long should I set each zone for?
When watering your lawn, set each zone to the amount of time it takes to deliver 3/4 to 1 inch of water. You can measure the amount of water collected in a can, cup, or irrigation gauge. For example, if it takes 25 minutes for your irrigation in any particular zone to fill a cup with 3/4 inch of water, then that zone should be set for 25 minutes. In situations where different amounts of water are collected in cups within the zone, then adjustments to the irrigation must be made to get the water distribution within that zone more uniform. For more information, check out our page on Watering Your Lawn by clicking here.
I heard that lawnmowers can spread the fungus around. Is that true?
Anything that moves through an infected area of the lawn has the potential to spread the disease to healthy areas. This includes lawnmowers, animals, foot traffic, etc.
a section of my lawn becomes infected with large patch fungus every fall. can i just replace that section of grass?
Replacing the grass will not remove the fungus that causes the disease (Rhizoctonia solani), as it is in the soil. So the new sod will likely become infected by the disease sooner or later.
I got new sod that looked amazing when it was installed. now it is infected by large patch fungus even though i've never had this problem in the past. what's going on?
The fungus that causes Large Patch disease (Rhizoctonia solani) was likely in the soil that came with the new sod from the sod farm. Since the grass appeared healthy at the time of installation, nobody could have known of the potential infection. At this point all you can do is follow cultural practices that promote healthy grass, water appropriately, ensure proper fertilization practices, and apply curative and preventive fungicides.
This fungus is killing my grass! will my grass recover?
Large Patch fungus definitely causes severe decline. However it strictly affects the leaves of the grass. It does not infect the stems or the roots. So as long as the grass is well-cared for, the grass should recover nicely when temperatures warm.
How did this disease get to my lawn in the first place?
There is no way to track how Large Patch Fungus ended up infecting your lawn. It may have come in with the sod, tracked in with a lawnmower, or maybe it was always there.
Will this fungus infect my lawn every year?
Yes. It is likely that Large Patch Fungus will infect the same areas of your lawn annually when average soil temperatures are below around 75°F. When average temperatures increase above around 75°F, the symptoms of this disease will disappear.