Lawn grasses always contend with various problems all throughout the year. However, in the fall, one of the common problems property owners will observe in their turf grass is the appearance of rust diseases.
What Is Rust Disease?
Rust diseases are a particular type of grass conditions that have very complex life cycles that include as many as five different stages in just one year.
There are various species of grass that have to rust to spend a portion of their life cycle on one plant species and the other portion on an entirely different plant, or the alternate host. This is the case with the specific rust disease known as crown rust or Puccinia coronata of grass. This disease completes part of its lifecycle on its alternate host, the common buckthorn or Rhamnus cathartica or glossy buckthorn or the Frangula alnus. The second portion of its lifecycle then occurs on some of the usual lawn grasses such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. Other rust species including Puccinia graminis or Stem Rust and Puccinia striiformis or Stripe Rust can also affect Kentucky bluegrass and other types of common grass species.
Why Do Rust Diseases Happen In The Fall?
Rust disease starts showing up more frequently during late August to early September. However, the very dry conditions that happen during October increases the occurrence of rust in lawns and other turf grass areas.
Slow growing lawn grasses are the main target of a rust disease attack. The combination of warm daytime temperatures, dry weather and heavy amounts of overnight dew production on the grass foliage creates a favorable environment for rust spores to germinate and infect the foliage. And when these common weather conditions are combined with low levels of nitrogen – a key substance responsible for active, vigorous growth of grasses - you have very favorable conditions for a rust outbreak. Shadier areas also often experience a greater incidence of rust.
Info source: www.catservicesllc.com
What Is Rust Disease?
Rust diseases are a particular type of grass conditions that have very complex life cycles that include as many as five different stages in just one year.
There are various species of grass that have to rust to spend a portion of their life cycle on one plant species and the other portion on an entirely different plant, or the alternate host. This is the case with the specific rust disease known as crown rust or Puccinia coronata of grass. This disease completes part of its lifecycle on its alternate host, the common buckthorn or Rhamnus cathartica or glossy buckthorn or the Frangula alnus. The second portion of its lifecycle then occurs on some of the usual lawn grasses such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. Other rust species including Puccinia graminis or Stem Rust and Puccinia striiformis or Stripe Rust can also affect Kentucky bluegrass and other types of common grass species.
Why Do Rust Diseases Happen In The Fall?
Rust disease starts showing up more frequently during late August to early September. However, the very dry conditions that happen during October increases the occurrence of rust in lawns and other turf grass areas.
Slow growing lawn grasses are the main target of a rust disease attack. The combination of warm daytime temperatures, dry weather and heavy amounts of overnight dew production on the grass foliage creates a favorable environment for rust spores to germinate and infect the foliage. And when these common weather conditions are combined with low levels of nitrogen – a key substance responsible for active, vigorous growth of grasses - you have very favorable conditions for a rust outbreak. Shadier areas also often experience a greater incidence of rust.
Info source: www.catservicesllc.com
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