Indianapolis homeowners and those in surrounding areas like Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood and pretty much all of the midwest, are going to have to deal with lawn rust at some point, though it varies from season to season depending on weather conditions.
What is Lawn Rust?
Lawn rust is a fungus that affects bluegrass or ryegrass. This fungus is mostly cosmetic, and will not harm your lawn. It appears on your lawn as orangish powder spores directly on the blades of your grass that comes off on shoes, clothing, lawn mowers, pets and other items.
How Did I Get It In My Yard?
Rust becomes a problem when grass plants are growing slowly. When grass plants are growing fairly rapidly, leaf tissues are removed by mowing at relatively frequent intervals, and the disease does not become apparent. With grass plants that are growing slowly, the fungus has sufficient time (7-14 days) to produce the microscopic spores in infected leaf tissue. These spores are then wind-blown or splashed by rain or irrigation to other leaves, where new infections can occur. Consequently, the disease can become very severe when certain weather conditions occur when the grass is growing slowly. Poor growth during the Summer is often due to a few factors such as improper watering, soil compaction, low nitrogen levels and heat stress. Rust often appears in lawns at the end of Summer or the beginning of Fall due to the warm days and cool evenings with large amounts of dew.
3 Ways to Prevent Rust
Rust is a sure sign of a struggling lawn that needs some tender loving care. However, following these 3 tips will help alleviate rust, and prevent it in the future.
- Reduce Soil Compaction with a Lawn Aeration
- Bag Your Lawn Trimmings
- Water Infrequently, Deeply AND not at Night