Keeping your lawn green and healthy can be a challenge. Don’t let weeds or lawn insects destroy your lawn and attract animal pests like moles and skunks. Learn about common lawn care problems homeowners in Iowa face and what you can do to manage them.
Make your yard the envy of the neighborhood and contact the lawn care experts at Grass Carpet Lawn Service to get a proper diagnosis and help get your lawn back on track.
Crabgrass is an annual and quick-spreading plant that thrives in Cedar Rapids during the summer months. It grows best in lawns that lack proper access to nutrients, including water and fertilizer. When they die in the fall, they leave large spots on your grass that make it easy for them to germinate again in the spring.
We use pre-emergent fertilizers to protect your lawn from up-croppings of crabgrass. This invisible protective layer stops crabgrass seeds from taking hold. These must be applied early in the spring before the crabgrass grows, so please speak to your lawn specialist immediately if you know crabgrass is an issue.
The dandelion is the most widely-known lawn weed in the U.S. It’s a perennial plant that has a rosette base and long jagged-toothed leaves. The flower is bright yellow, grown from a long milky stem. Flowers bloom in the spring and can continue to bloom throughout the summer.
Due to their extra-long roots and easy reproductive habits via wind currents, dandelions are some of the most challenging weeds to control in a lawn. We do not advise pulling the weed, as the stem is brittle and will regenerate underground when it fractures. In addition, it is hard to plan for dandelions as their seeds may germinate at any time.
Creeping Charlie, also known as Ground Ivy or creeping Jenny, is a low-growing perennial plant that spreads from above-ground roots and shoots. This makes it easy to spread out, choking more favorable plants. It grows in clusters and has long, square stems that are smooth and pliable. Its leaves are veined, rounded with lobed teeth, and will create a mint-like smell if disturbed. The weed’s lavender-colored flowers appear in the spring. While mowing your lawn can limit the spread of this aggressive weed, it does not prevent future growth.
One of the most common weeds in North America, and Cedar Rapids, clover can grow at any time of the year and start flowering in early summer. If it goes dormant during the summer, it can cause brown patches.
Each stem of a clover plant contains three leaflets. On each leaflet is a small smoke ring. Clover can spread rapidly due to its ability to produce roots from each node on the stem. Its habit of creeping above ground results in the suffocation of turfgrass.
Henbit is considered a winter annual. It starts to grow in the fall, falls dormant over the winter, and starts growing again in the spring when its flowers reproduce. Then it dies from summer stress. It looks similar to Ground Ivy, although it grows upright rather than spreading low along the ground. It has a purplish flower.
Both spotted and prostrate spurge’s stems radiate from a central taproot and form a dense mat. Leaves grow opposite and can have a reddish splotch in the center. Germination begins in late spring, and growth continues until the first frost of fall. They are summer annuals.
Purslane has growing patterns similar to those of desert plants. It is an annual plant with thick, fleshy, reddish-brown stems and shiny, wedge-shaped, rubbery leaves. In Cedar Rapids, germination begins in late spring, and growth continues until the first frost of fall.
Wild violets are perennial plants with heart-shaped leaves with pansy-like violet to white flowers. The leaf is generally cupped with scalloped edges. The roots are dense and fibrous, and the leaves can have a waxy film. This makes the plant harder to control.
White grubs are the larvae of many different beetles, the most recognizable being the June and Japanese beetle. They are whitish to grayish in color, with brown heads. All white grubs attack the turf by feeding on the root system.
Irregular brown patches will occur in late summer or early fall. When damage is severe, large areas may need to be reseeded. Birds, moles, raccoons, and skunks can also cause just as much damage as the grubs by searching for them and tearing up the turf in the process.
Billbug grubs are the larvae of adult billbugs. They are white, crescent-shaped, and 3/8 inch long, and they have a yellowish head and no legs. They feed on turfgrass roots and stems near the base.
Symptoms of Billbug Grubs: A small and distinct yellowing or brown circular pattern will develop on your lawn at advanced stages. Damaged stems break off at the base and can be easily pulled up. Most damage usually begins in late spring and continues through the summer.
Armyworms and cutworms have similar appearances, and both can cause turf damage. Armyworms are yellowish with an inverted V on the top of their head. Cutworms and Sod Webworms are black or brown, sometimes with spots or stripes.
Symptoms of worms: Worms can cause general thinning or browning of the lawn. Birds are attracted to the affected areas. You will likely find many small holes left from birds probing for these worms. Damage may occur throughout the summer.
Chinch bugs are about 1/5 of an inch long and are black with white-crossed wings. Younger stages of chinch bugs will appear reddish. They crawl along the stem of the grass plant and remove plant fluids by sucking.
Symptoms of Chinch Bugs: You will see large, circular patches. The yellowish spots will be worse towards the center and are confined to sunny areas of the lawn. Most noticeable damage is seen during extreme temperatures and along concrete drives and sidewalks.
Aphids are small, green insects about 1/16 inch long. As many as 50 can be found on one grass blade. They are sucking insects and withdraw plant fluids as they feed.
Symptoms of aphids: Damage is usually found under shade trees but will also move out into the open sun. Symptoms generally occur in the fall months but can develop as early as June. When feeding by aphids is extreme, the grass turns a very distinct copper color.
Ants are social insects that build their nests in soil, wood, or other suitable substrates. A typical ant colony consists of an egg-laying queen, males, and hundreds to thousands of sterile female workers, which can become a nuisance. They can become a problem in the grass turf of your lawn. Ant mounds can be particularly troublesome where maintaining a uniform playing surface is essential.
Symptoms: Ants commonly establish their colonies in sunny locations. During nest construction, ants excavate large quantities of soil, which they deposit in mounds on the surface. Not only are these mounds unsightly, but they can smother the turfgrass immediately.
What to do: Effective ant control typically requires the destruction of the queen. A single insecticide application will provide adequate ant control for the season.
The eastern mole, commonly found in the midwest, weighs 3 to 5 ounces and is 4 to 6 inches long. Moles will spend the majority of their life underground. Because of this, few people have ever seen one.
The eastern mole is a native species and a natural part of the local Cedar Rapids environment, although sometimes it can be a nuisance. Moles will form burrows while searching for food, which causes unsightly mounds in the grass turf. They have a large appetite and can consume up to 100% of their body weight each day. They will feed primarily on earthworms, grubs, and adult insects. Only occasionally do they eat plant materials. The availability of their food source determines how much searching they will do and, therefore, how many unsightly tunnels they will make.
Prevention and Damage Control: Trapping is the most practical and effective method to control moles. The harpoon-type trap is the most commonly used. Here in Cedar Rapids, the best time to trap is in the spring and fall when they’re feeding near the soil surface. When trapping, be sure the tunnels are actively being used. You can check by stepping down on an area along the tunnel and see if it comes back up the next day. If you eliminate grubs from an area, you will likely get rid of moles. However, grubs make up only a portion of the mole’s diet. You must have repeated insect applications to achieve removing the food population entirely. This is not an environmentally-sound practice.
Skunks are unwelcome guests on your lawn in more ways than one. Not only do they have their infamous defense mechanism (an extremely smelly Spyra!), they also can damage your grass in the process of searching for insects. A skunk will use its nose and root up the turf, searching for insects–especially grubs!–to eat just under the soil’s surface.
Raccoons can harm your lawn when they search for insects to eat in the soil. White grubs are a popular food source. When a significant population of grubs is present, raccoons will root up the turf, searching for them. They can cause more damage than what is caused by the actual grubs eating at the roots!
It is essential to minimize the presence of grubs by keeping the lawn healthy and using proper insect and grub controls.
General: This disease probably causes the most damage on lawn grasses. Many people wonder why their lawn was affected when their neighbor’s lawn was not. Many factors relate to a heavy outbreak of this disease including:
However, the main factor is the variety of grass on your lawn. Some are very resistant and others, like Kentucky bluegrass, are not.
Causes: The spores of this fungus cause infection of the grass plant. Spores act like seeds. They spread easily to healthy plants by wind, water, and equipment. Wet, cool temperatures, high humidity, and cloudy days allow spores to grow, and the disease can infect the grass blades and stems.
What to do: Proper lawn management is essential to controlling Leaf spot disease. Water your lawn in the morning hours to allow ample drying time before evening. Water deeply just one to two times per week. Mow frequently, at least once per week, or more if weather conditions require.
General: These two diseases are caused by different fungi; however, we will group them together since they have similar appearances. Red thread and pink patch are usually most active on your turf during the cool, wet weather of spring and fall.
Symptoms: Both diseases produce a reddish fungus growth, which causes the red or pink color. This is most easily seen in the early morning with dew. The disease develops at the tips of the grass blades first and then proceeds down the blade. In advanced stages, ragged scorched patches appear.
What to do: Lawns should be mowed frequently, at least once per week, even more often if weather conditions require. Water your lawn deeply, once per week, to keep grass growing. Morning hours are the best time for watering, so blades of grass will have maximum drying time before evening sets in and humidity increases.
General: Anthracnose is a foliar disease that produces saucer-shaped bodies of spores. It is a common disease found throughout the midwest. It is triggered by extended periods of damp or rainy weather conditions and high humidity.
Symptoms: Anthracnose will usually appear during the warm periods of summer. Lesions on the blade are reddish-brown with yellow halos. These lesions will eventually turn yellow and then brown.
What to do: It is critical to use proper cultural practices to maintain healthy turf because anthracnose infects only weekend turf. Curative and preventative fungicide programs are available.
General: The outbreak of brown patch is affected by soil moisture, grass variety, humidity, mowing practices, and temperature. Brown patch is most prevalent during periods of high temperature and humidity.
Symptoms: This fungus usually kills grass in a circular pattern a few inches to several feet in diameter. In some instances, the center of the diseased turf will recover while the disease is still active along the edges.
What to do: Mild cases of brown patch may recover with improved cultural practices. Those practices are water only when the grass begins to show signs of stress (wilting), and be sure to water deeply, 2-4 inches. Mow frequently (every 5 days). More severe cases may require the use of disease control products. Your specialist can advise you on the best course of action.
The factors relating to a heavy outbreak of brown patch are many. The principal difference is often the grass variety. Some varieties can be more resistant. If you decide you need to overseed your lawn, consider using a blend.
General: Fairy ring is a disease that causes dark, green, circular patterns in the lawn. Rings may vary in size, from a few feet to many yards in diameter. In Cedar Rapids, they are most noticeable in early spring and fall. As the disease progresses, these rings may become more prominent.
Causes: Many fungi cause fairy ring. These fungi occur naturally in the soil and live by decomposing organic matter (thatch). They grow radically outward from the point of the initial infection. The dark green of the outer zone occurs because the fungi release nitrogen as they decompose organic material, and the nitrogen stimulates the turf. A hard layer is formed as the fungi mature, and turf growth becomes difficult, resulting in thin areas inside the green ring.
What to do: There are no fungicide controls. The best approach is to disrupt the ring by mechanical means, such as aerating and fertilizing. Aerating will stimulate more consistent turf growth by allowing downward movement of nutrients and water in damaged areas. Fertilizing will enhance the green color of the grass surrounding the ring. Grass growth will become more uniform in the damaged areas, and the ring will not be as noticeable.
Symptoms: From spring to early fall, lawns can be affected by one or more very similar patch or ring-type diseases. Circular rings or patches of injury may appear, and at times a tuft of grass may survive in the center of dead areas. This may create a frog eye appearance. Usually, the disease is most noticeable on sodded lawns. As the disease develops in summer, circular-like areas will turn a dark blue-green color and wilt in the heat of the day. Symptoms due to drought begin to show, and if the turf is not watered soon, wilted areas could die in a few days or even within 24 hours.
Cause: The fungi that cause these diseases attack roots and crowns of grass plants during cool and wet periods, but damage does not become evident until the turf becomes stressed due to hot, dry weather. Symptoms of both necrotic ring spot and summer patch are most common in the summer, but necrotic ring spot symptoms sometimes persist into early fall.
Control: There are no simple treatments for complete control of summer patch diseases. Some fungicide treatments may help suppress disease-causing organisms, but good cultural practices must accompany treatment. Ideal cultural practices in established lawns include tall mowing, aeration, proper fertilization, and prevention of drought stress. Eliminating drought stress is very important, and the turf must be watered quickly once wilted areas begin to occur.
This disease may occur any time from late fall until early spring when temperatures range from 28-45 degrees. Excessive moisture or melting snow must be present for the weed to develop. Snow mold is more likely to occur on grass that was too tall as it entered the winter. Damage is more severe when snow covers the turf for long periods. Grass in these areas becomes matted, closely pressed to the ground, and often can be completely destroyed.
What to do: The matted areas of grass should be loosened to improve air circulation. A good raking with a leaf rake will fluff the grass and improve air circulation. If you find the grass so long that it will not stand up, you can mow it to remove extra-long blades of grass. With proper fertilization and follow-up maintenance, the lawn may recover without reseeding.
Be sure your lawn is not too tall going into winter. Keep mowing it as long as it needs it. A good time to stop is after the area has a hard freeze. Rake or mulch leaves to prevent smothering of the grass. Also, when shoveling snow during the winter, avoid piling snow into localized areas.
General: Rust is a disease that can occur on all turfgrass species. Grasses growing under stressful environmental conditions are most easily affected. However, the disease seldom does serious damage.
Causes: Periods of two to three days of overcast or cloudy weather, air temperatures in the low 70’s, and high humidity brought on by fog or frequent light rain showers, followed by bright and sunny weather with air temperatures in the 80’s. And as we know, the weather is unpredictable in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Symptoms: Early symptoms of rust appear as light, yellow flecks on the leaves or stems. These enlarge as the infection matures. The turf may appear thin and weak with an orange tint when rust is severe. It may also leave an orange or ‘rusty’ appearance on your shoes.
Control: Increase mowing frequency, especially in the fall, to enhance growing conditions and remove infected leaf areas. Additional nitrogen fertilizer may be necessary to increase growth and recovery. In severe cases, it may be a good idea to remove grass clippings to reduce the threat of continued infection.
Dollar spot is a fungal disease that affects both warm and cool-season grasses typically appearing in late spring through fall.
Causes: Drought-weakened grass, excessive thatch build-up, or grass that has been oversaturated with water for too long.
Symptoms: Strawberry or tan-colored circular patches of dead grass about the size of a silver dollar. As the disease progresses, spot sizes grow until they meet with adjacent spots forming bigger, irregularly shaped patches.
Control: Consistent lawn maintenance, including regular mowing, fertilization, proper irrigation techniques, and thatch removal. Because overly saturated grass and excessive thatch can increase the likelihood of dollar spot, it’s important to water only in the morning, deeply and infrequently, and have your lawn aerated annually.