By Andi Anderson
This summer brought difficult conditions for turfgrass across Michigan, with extreme temperatures, high humidity, and inconsistent rainfall creating major stress on lawns. Turfgrass managers observed widespread weed and disease pressure, leaving many lawns in less-than-ideal condition.
Common lawn diseases like red thread, rust, and dollar spot were prevalent, but this year also brought unusually high levels of dollar spot, along with brown patch and pythium blight, which are less common in home lawns.
Weather played a major role, as dew points in the upper 60s and low 70s combined with high nighttime temperatures created conditions that favored disease outbreaks.
Rainfall patterns were uneven across the state. While southeast Michigan experienced excess precipitation over the past 90 days, parts of central and western Michigan recorded rainfall deficits of 2 to 6 inches, equal to nearly two months behind normal.
Recent rains have offered some short-term relief, though drought-stressed turf will need more consistent rainfall to fully recover.
Weed pressure was also high this year. Crabgrass thrived with the early summer heat and rain, while other invasive plants such as ground ivy, white clover, yellow woodsorrel, yellow nutsedge, and prostrate spurge crowded out stressed turfgrass.
Because cool-season grasses grow more slowly in hot weather, weeds were able to take advantage of weakened turf.
With cooler fall weather arriving, turfgrasses are naturally beginning to recover. However, grub season poses a new threat. Japanese beetle grubs tend to damage irrigated lawns, while European chafer grubs are more common in unirrigated areas.
Symptoms include patches of wilted turf that expand over time and evidence of animals digging for grubs.
Homeowners are encouraged to monitor lawns closely this fall, address weed competition, and be alert for grub damage to support healthy turf recovery heading into winter.
Photo Credit:pexels-mattycphoto
Categories: Michigan, General, Rural Lifestyle, Weather