Our Summer Newsletter – Print (PDF)
Dear Customer:
It is hard to believe that Summer is already here and so is the first round of hot weather. July and August are the worst time for your lawn and landscape. The above-average temperatures, high humidity, below-average rainfall and occasional drought, make for tough growing conditions. We will be sending emails to update you with our recommendations for the changing weather conditions, and what mowing and water practices you should be performing. We invite you to visit our website to read about proper mowing and watering instructions in detail.
Turf Disease
During the summer months, Turf Disease becomes active due to the high temperatures and high humidity. In June we saw 8″ of rainfall, well above normal, and with most of the storms taking place in the evening hours. This created the perfect environment for turf diseases to spread. All turf disease is soil-born, spreading from fungal spores in the soil up, the grass leaf, to infect the plant. Two of the most common diseases we see are Red Thread and Dollar Spot.
Red Thread creates reddish-pink patches throughout the lawn. In the early morning you can actually see the pink fibers of the fungus spreading between the grass blades, but they quickly dry out in the sun. Red Thread is a cosmetic disease which discolors the turf and makes it appear dead but does not actually damage the grass. High overnight temperatures and humidity, combined with low available nitrogen, can lead to the emergence of Red Thread. This commonly occurs during the periods of rapid continued growth caused by excessive rains like we had in June. Our company spot treats for Red Thread where the disease is actively growing, and uses a custom blended product to provide the extra nitrogen that the lawn needs to recover.
Dollar Spot appears as small circular straw colored spots in the lawn. With closer examination, you can see the brown lesion blight on the grass leaf. This disease damages the grass leaf but does not affect the roots or the crown of the plant. Dollar Spot thrives under high temperatures and humidity when the lawn does not have a chance to dry out. Another common cause is mowing the lawn too short. Short turf is more easily infected than turf cut at the correct height. Our company spot treats the areas around the disease with a curative fungicide to reduce the
spread of the disease.
Through use of Proper Watering and Mowing techniques the home owner can reduce the disease pressure during the summer months which will also reduce the amount of disease control our company needs to apply to the lawn.
Lawn Mowing
Proper mowing is one of the “Best Cultural Practices” for the lawn. By mowing at 4″, the turf is better able to resist Turf Disease and other summer stresses. Only mow the lawn when it is needed during the summer, which may be once every 10 to 14 days depending on how fast the turf is growing. Please follow our mowing instructions on the Summer Bulletin which the men leave at your home at the time of your service and is posted on our website.
Please note that most lawns are still mowed at less than 4 inches which is unhealthy for the grass.
Summer Watering
Proper Watering Techniques will help protect the lawn from Turf Disease and from drought and summer stress. Watering once a week in the morning after the sun is up allows the lawn to dry during the day. This helps prevent the spread of Turf Disease and also reduces the amount of evaporation, allowing more water to soak into the soil. Please follow our detailed watering instructions on the Summer Bulletin.
It is worth noting that watering regularly at this time of year may eliminate the need to reseed a lawn or replace a plant in the Fall, which would require extra water and is an additional expense.
Fall Extra Work
The Fall is the best time to upgrade and repair your lawn and landscape. If you have a project in mind, please contact us now in July or August so that you don’t miss this prime planting window. Our company can handle your lawn concerns. For your landscape needs, we work side by side with the best companies in this area and would be happy to recommend the right contractor for any size project.
Please note that the company’s new mailing address is:
Finocchiaro Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
P. O. Box 9524
Wilmington DE 19809
For those who pay for our service through their bank’s online pay site, please be sure to go in and correct our name and mailing address to this new one.
We hope that you have a fun-filled Summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.
Gabriel L. Clouser, President
Eric M. Plummer, Vice President