Brown Patch or Insects ?

cboak2 – posted 15 April 2004 21:38

I purchased a home in Alabama last July that has an Emerald Zoysia Lawn. I have a spot of grass (2ft x 4ft) that is mostly dead grass. How do I tell if it is Brown Patch or Insects? How do you treat Brown Patch?

ted – posted 16 April 2004 08:57

you’re not seeing brown patch on the zoysia this time of year.

cohiba – posted 16 April 2004 13:38

The best thing to determine if a disease is present is to have the spot tested by a lab. We use the Plant Pathology lab at Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ. If you want more info I can get it. Your problem could be insects. Or it could be something as silly as someone pouring something on your yard. Did the landscaper refuel his mower there and spill some gas? Could be anything? I remember a few years ago I was called in to consult on a problem with shrubs around an office. All the Yews were dead on the top and needless. No insects were present and even some weeds were dead behind the Yews. It turns out the building had a cedar shake roof that was treated with a wood preservative. the runoff from the treatment killed the yews. the dfamage showed up a few weeks after the treatment so no one suspected that would have been the problem. The yews eventually recovered and we all learned a lesson. Just recently we had 12 trees transplanted with a tree spade. A few days later we had dead grass in irregular shapes near the trees. Exhaust was the culprit in that case. With turf you never know!!!!

Good Luck….