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Anybody seeing Pythium?

3K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  Az Gardener 
#1 ·
2 condo complexs and a residential lawn of mine manifested Pythium Blight over the weekend. Anyone else seeing it? The resi got a shot of Mancozeb and I am still shopping products for the condos. Those condo boards have trouble making swift decisions to spend a lot of money on a fungicide application.
 
#2 ·
I had a customer of mine call me today to tell me he watered his lawn late last night to wake up to pithium today. I Hydro Seeded his lawn 3 weeks ago so it was probably a combination of pithium and dampening off.

I hear Subdue works really well for that, I have not personally used it but I called my local seed store that carries it and it comes in granular form and it covers 16,000 sq. ft. at curative rate and runs around $ 104.00. As long as the temps and humidity are high the conditions are right. Good Luck!
 
#6 ·
TurfProSTL said:
Turfscape, are these newly seeded or ryegrass? Did the damage seem to occur overnight?
It is Pythium, no question. I am well versed in it. It is appearing in perrenial rye/kbg mix turf that has been established for some time. Yes, as pythium does, it appeared overnight. Our forcast calls for 70* nights with +70 dew points, so the condo boards are doing what they do and kicking around my proposal. I have informed them of the urgency of the situation, but it may seem to them to be salesmanship. I am planning a curative app of Mancozeb when they pull the trigger. I have used Subdue before. No chance they will splurge and pay for a premium chemical like that.
 
#8 ·
Turfscape LLC said:
It is Pythium, no question. I am well versed in it. It is appearing in perrenial rye/kbg mix turf that has been established for some time. Yes, as pythium does, it appeared overnight. Our forcast calls for 70* nights with +70 dew points, so the condo boards are doing what they do and kicking around my proposal. I have informed them of the urgency of the situation, but it may seem to them to be salesmanship. I am planning a curative app of Mancozeb when they pull the trigger. I have used Subdue before. No chance they will splurge and pay for a premium chemical like that.
Yeah, good pythium control is pricey. Good luck.....
 
#15 ·
The vast majority of my residential customers did not treat for any lawn diseases. It was chaper to reseed, unless it was a widepread case. And those pics could be Dollar Spot too. Send a sample off to your ag. extension service to be analyzed. Only way to be 100% sure of what type of disease it is.
Best treatment for any disease is cultural. Aerate and mow regularly. Water properly (more is not alway better) and fertilize properly. Quick release N is the culprit behind alot of disease outbreaks. "I fertilized about a week ago and now I have these spots"
 
#17 ·
upidstay said:
The vast majority of my residential customers did not treat for any lawn diseases. It was chaper to reseed, unless it was a widepread case. And those pics could be Dollar Spot too. Send a sample off to your ag. extension service to be analyzed. Only way to be 100% sure of what type of disease it is.
Best treatment for any disease is cultural. Aerate and mow regularly. Water properly (more is not alway better) and fertilize properly. Quick release N is the culprit behind alot of disease outbreaks. "I fertilized about a week ago and now I have these spots"
Dollar spot?!? Looks like you need to talk to your University extension rep.:hammerhead:
Upidstay is a orrectcay reenamescay.

Also, I always use at least 50% slow release N. But thanks for the tutorial.

(Go Tigers!)
Break up the Yankees!
 
#18 ·
Also an update: 2 of the condos went for a curative application of Mancozeb @ 12.8 oz./1000. That stuff is like pancake batter already, and at that high rate the pump on the old Z-spray was very hot to the touch all day and I kept getting whiffs of burning seals. It is still working though. These lawns have an arrested pathogen for the time being, however Friday was 7 days from the application and the label says to treat every 7-10 days during favorable conditions. Favorable conditions are forecasted through the end of the week.
 
#19 ·
If you were really concerned about Pythium, why would you use mancozeb?

It's a quick fix at best.

Good luck explaining that one to these big properties you were trying to sell.....
 
#20 ·
Well, it has worked very well thus far (8 days out). The clamor over the price started right away, so I presented the most economical option, and it still took a week for approval. Next applications, if there are any, will be Banol. There was some ambiguity about the label and use on commercial properties. What would you suggest? PM if you would, please.
 
#22 ·
The best way to prevent the Phythium is to stop applying nitrogen in the summer time. I know everybody wants a green lawn, but a pythium lawn looks worse than a off colored green lawn. Get your nitrogen down early and quit trying to force feed a normally dormant lawn and your phythium problems will go away.
 
#23 ·
muddstopper said:
The best way to prevent the Phythium is to stop applying nitrogen in the summer time. I know everybody wants a green lawn, but a pythium lawn looks worse than a off colored green lawn. Get your nitrogen down early and quit trying to force feed a normally dormant lawn and your phythium problems will go away.
People who irrigate their lawn properly do not have dormant turf in the summer. These lawns do still require proper fertilization, including nitrogen. I advise all of my clients of proper irrigation methods. When fungal disease crops up, despite proper cultural practices, I recommend applying a fungicide. Its called turf management. It is what I offer to my clients.
 
#24 ·
disease popping up like that on a HOME lawn should be telling you that it is mainly the customer's fault. Those areas must have been satuated to have that pythium move like that and i dam sure would not have given them a break on a curitive app. I probably would have gone with banol or daconil, mybe even heritage if i wanted to watch them faint when i told them the price.hehe. Hope everything works out with the mancozeb. I only used as a preventative on fairway and tees. But never curitive.
 
#25 ·
Few things

I don't know your H/O board but I know most are notoriously cheap unless their lawn is dying in front in front of their eyes. It was probably just logistics getting approval from all they needed to get things moving. Getting approval from a H/O board in one week is very quick. It wouldn't be any different if the place was on fire and they had to round up everyone to get approval to pay the fire dept before they would put out the fire, it would still take a week.

Its your job as the professional to be proactive and inform them before the season that their could be a potential problem and have their approval already in place. I think given all the facts they would prefer the better chemical and the savings in the long run.

Healthy turf is more resistant to disease. They do need nitrogen but less and slow release. I always switch to a high Potassium product with some additional Iron in about June. The turf needs extra Potassium to help defend itself against pest and disease and will also help it hold its color going into the winter. I am using a 10-8-16 with 3.5 % Iron. While we have few problems with fungi no turf likes going 10 days and the temperature never getting below 90. Our problems are Pearle scale (no chemical control) grubs, sod web worms and the clogged sprinkler nozzle.

Once again it is your job as the professional to educate them. This is the perfect opportunity. Set an appointment to speak at the next board meeting. Take some literature from your local university about pithium and turf nutrition in general to hand out. Sell them better fertilizer applications in hopes that you don't have to deal with fungus problems if things go bad but get the agreement in place so if it does you are prepared.
 
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