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Fusarium blight is caused by the widespread fungi Fusarium roseum and F. tricinctum. The disease is most troublesome on cool season grasses such as bentgrass, bluegrass and tall fescue, but occasionally attacks the warm season grasses as well. The disease is most serious during hot, humid conditions when the turfgrasses are under drought stress.

Symptoms. Initially, affected grasses display light green patches 2- to 6-inches in diameter. The shape of the affected areas may appear as circular patches, elongated streaks or crescents. At high temperatures, the patches quickly change from light green to reddish brown, then tan and finally to straw-colored. The most characteristic symptom at this stage is a doughnut-shaped area up to 3 feet in diameter with healthy grass in the center giving a “frog-eye” pattern to the diseased area. When conditions of high temperature and high humidity persist for an extended time, these diseased areas become numerous and may overlap. As a result, large areas of turf may appear blighted. As the disease progresses, grass dies as the crown and root tissues are destroyed.

On individual leaves, dark green blotches envelope the full width of the leaf blade. As the disease progresses these symptoms extend from the cut leaf tip to the base. The color changes from dark green to reddish-brown and finally to a dull tan.

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SEASON: The disease occurs from spring through fall, and is most active during moist periods of warm days (70-85°F) and cool nights (60°F) in the spring, early summer and fall.

APPEARANCE: Dollar spot symptoms vary depending primarily on turfgrass species, mowing height and nutrition level. Overall appearance of dollar spot on closely mowed bentgrass golf greens differs from that observed on taller Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue and perennial ryegrass turfs.

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SEASON: Spring to fall.

APPEARANCE: The most obvious symptom of this disease is elongated circular spots on the grass blades. These spots have a brown or straw-colored center with black to purplish borders.

FAVORABLE CONDITIONS: Cool (50º to 70º F), moist conditions are most favorable for the growth of leaf spot. The spots first appear on grass in shady areas of the lawn. They occur most commonly during wet, humid weather or in lawns that are often lightly sprinkled or mowed too closely.

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Necrotic ring spot often appears two to three years after lawn establish-ment, although it may not develop in a lawn for a decade or more. It may be apparent throughout the growing season, but they commonly intensify in late July or August during periods of summer stress. Initially light green to straw-colored spots or patches several inches to several feet in diameter develop in the lawn. The patches may be localized to one part of the yard or widely scattered throughout the lawn.

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SEASON:Fall.

APPEARANCE: Small spots that appear water-soaked enlarge rapidly to cover a large part of the leaf. As the spots dry, the leaves fade to a light brown or tan. Pink webs bind the grass blades together. Later, the fungus forms thin, red-to-pink, finger-like structures at the tips of grass leaves, which gives the lawn a reddish cast.

FAVORABLE CONDITIONS: Most damaging in spring and fall in temperatures of 68º to 75º F and high humidity. Low levels of nitrogen favor its development. When the grass growth slows down due to a lack of nitrogen, the disease then becomes more prevalent.

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SEASON: Midsummer to fall.

APPEARANCE: The lawn takes on a rust-colored cast, especially noticeable from a distance. Dust-like spores, the main symptom of this disease, form in circular or elongated groups on grass blades. Anything moving through a severely infested area will be covered by the spores, and may spread the disease.

FAVORABLE CONDITIONS: Moderately warm, moist weather. Dew that lasts for 10 to 12 hours promotes germination. Stress that restricts growth favors rust.

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SEASON: Early summer to fall.

APPEARANCE: First symptoms are light patches of dusty, white to light gray growth on grass blades, especially during cool, rainy weather. Lowest leaves may become completely covered. Although generally not too serious a problem, it can become severe if not controlled. Heavily afflicted areas look as though they’ve been covered with lime or flour or sprayed with a coat of white paint.

FAVORABLE CONDITIONS: Slow or non-existent air circulation, shade, and high humidity with temperatures of 60º to 70º F.

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SYMPTOMS: Grass grubs attack the roots of most pasture plants, but their numbers are highest under susceptible species such as white clover and ryegrass and very low under the resistant lucerne and Lotus major. Tall fescue supports relatively high populations of grass grub but with little effect on plant production.

INSECT APPEARANCE: The larvae are C-shaped when relaxed, creamy white in colour, and have a light tan head and a horseshoe-shaped cluster of anal bristles. They moult (cast their skins) three times. Newly hatched larvae are about 5 mm long and weigh only 2-3 mg.

LIFE CYCLE: Most grass grubs hatch in December and January and pupate 9-10 months later. They are found up to 150 mm below the soil surface. The first larval stage lasts about 3 weeks and the second about 6 weeks. The third instar is present until the following September or October, but completes its growth and stops feeding about July, depending on the conditions. The pupal stage lasts 3-4 weeks.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD: Grubs of all species feed on the roots of many plants, but prefer the fibrous roots of turfgrasses. As the root system is destroyed, sections of turf wilt, turn brown and can be easily pulled back to reveal grubs beneath. Secondary damage is also caused by skunks searching for grubs as food. Damage is most severe in the fall and the spring when the grubs are increasing in size rapidly and feeding near the surface.

CONTROL: Apply grub control insecticide in late spring/early summer.

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INSECT APPEARANCE: Billbug larvae—which do most of the damage—are white, legless grubs about 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch long, with snouts used for burrowing and chewing off plants.

LIFE CYCLE: Overwintering adults emerge in midspring when they often can be found crawling on sidewalks and driveways. Soon after emerging, they lay eggs on the stems of grass plants. Grubs generally emerge in May or June and then tunnel into the stems, from where they eventually will migrate into the root zone.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD: More than one grub per square foot of lawn.

CONTROL: Apply insecticide to lawn in spring when billbugs are actively moving around.

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INSECT APPEARANCE: Adult chinch bugs are small, from 1/16 to 1/4 inch long, depending on the species. Most are black with white wings, each of which has a distinctive triangular black mark. Young chinch bugs are smaller, wingless versions of their parents, but are red with a white back stripe.

LIFE CYCLE: Adult chinch bugs overwinter in both the North and South and emerge as early as March. For the rest of the growing season, they feed by sucking the juice from grass blades, injecting a poison that causes blades to turn brown and die. They are especially active during hot, dry weather.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD: To find chinch bugs, push a bottomless 2-pound coffee can into the affected lawn area, about 2 inches deep. Fill it with warm water. Any chinch bugs present should float to the surface. If more than 20 chinch bugs appear, control is warranted.

CONTROL: Apply insecticide in mid/ late spring.

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SYMPTOMS: One- to two-inch-wide dead patches with grass blades chewed off just above the thatch line. Usually prevalent in the hottest, driest areas of the lawn. Silky white tubes found nestled in the root area.

INSECT APPEARANCE: Sod webworm larvae are slender, grayish, black spotted caterpillars, approximately 3/4 inch long, and sluggish in their activity. They hide during the day in shelters constructed of bits of grass and debris. The buff-colored moths, which fly in zigzag patterns over the lawn at dusk, have two snout-like projections on their heads.

LIFE CYCLE: Overwintering larvae emerge and begin feeding (at night or on overcast days) in spring. They mature into moths in early summer. Throughout the summer, the moths fly over the grass and drop eggs, which hatch into larvae and repeat the feeding cycle on the grass. There may be as many as three generations per season.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD: Fifteen or more larvae per square foot indicates treatment is necessary.

CONTROL: Apply grub control insecticide in mid spring/early summer.

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INSECT APPEARANCE: The army worm caterpillars are light tan to dark brown with yellow, orange, or dark brown stripes down the lengths of their backs. They are 3/4 inch to 2 inches long. Adult moths are tan or mottled gray with a wingspan of about 1 inch. They fly only at night or on overcast days. In daylight, they hide in the soil around grass roots.

LIFE CYCLE: Moths appear in late spring to early summer and lay hundreds of eggs at a time on the grass. Larvae hatch from eggs within 10 days and begin feeding. You may see the larvae hanging from threads on the grass. In the South, there may be as many as six generations a year.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD: More than five larvae per square yard indicates infestation.

CONTROL: Apply grub control insecticide in late spring/early summer.

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SYMPTOMS: As with army worms, cutworms leave small, 1- to 2-inch-wide patches of brown grass in newly seeded and established lawns; the plants are eaten off at soil level.

INSECT APPEARANCE: The larvae of cutworms are plump, smooth, and almost always curl up when disturbed. They can be various colors but are most often gray, brown, or black; some are spotted or striped. They often grow to 2 inches long. The moths are dark and fly at night.

LIFE CYCLE: Moths lay their eggs in late summer, and after hatching, cutworm larvae overwinter in trash and clumps of grass. Larvae resume feeding early in spring (and only at night). They mature into moths in July or August.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD: If you find more than 10 larvae per square foot, it’s time to act. Cutworms don’t seriously damage grass unless there is severe infestation. More damage can be done by birds scratching at the turf to feed on the larvae.

CONTROL:Apply insecticide in early to mid spring and apply grub control in late spring/early summer.

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Japanese Beetles can be a very damaging insect in both the adult and larval stages. Larvae chew roots of turf grasses and it is the most important white grub pest of turf grass in much of the northeastern quadrant of the United States. Adults also cause serious injuries as they feed on the leaves and flowers of many ornamentals, fruits, and vegetables. Among the plants most commonly damaged are rose, grape, crab-apple, and beans.