How to handle lawn rust during the pause?

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
Post Reply
MfanIN
Posts: 24
Joined: August 18th, 2017, 7:00 am
Location: North Central Indiana
Grass Type: Kentucky Bluegrass
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

How to handle lawn rust during the pause?

Post by MfanIN » November 1st, 2022, 6:46 am


Hi all,

I’m wondering if anyone has experience dealing with extensive rust once top growth has slowed to near nothing in late fall.

I renovated (overseeded with SS5000 mix after power raking on Aug 15th). Water was shut off a few weeks ago but have had some periods of rain for a couple day stretch. I’m in Northern Indiana.

In any case, there are a couple heavily shaded regions that are seeing almost complete coverage of rust on the blades, then <1ft patches here/there throughout the lawn.

Any feedback how to tackle this before winterization (or should I)? I have serenade on hand- and disease ex, and liquid propiconazole (the latter two of which I have been trying to hold off on)

Thanks!

User avatar
turf_toes
Posts: 6042
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
Location: Central NJ
Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: How to handle lawn rust during the pause?

Post by turf_toes » November 1st, 2022, 9:47 am

Try a liquid fungicide. My normal go to would be feeding the grass. But you are too late in the season and in the pause.

Your other approach is to wait until you your last dose at the end of the pause.

Rust looks bad. But it’s not going to kill your whole lawn like other pathogens.

Rust is a disease that thrives in low fertility environments. So next year, try feeding it a bit more in mid October.

MfanIN
Posts: 24
Joined: August 18th, 2017, 7:00 am
Location: North Central Indiana
Grass Type: Kentucky Bluegrass
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: How to handle lawn rust during the pause?

Post by MfanIN » November 1st, 2022, 1:21 pm

Thanks turf toes!

I’ve hit my lawn pretty hard with granular and liquid fungicides earlier in the year- trying to ward off patch diseases and ended up with massive amounts of necrotic ring spot.

I’ve switched gears just prior to the Reno to try to limit liquid fungicides- encourage competing beneficial fungus as a go forward approach unless necessary. I’ll try to hold off and will plan to hit the yard with urea after the pause, and see what happens in the spring. I’ll be more active with the fall nitrogen program next year- not having to be concerned with baby grass.

I appreciate the insight!

Green
Posts: 6837
Joined: September 14th, 2012, 10:53 pm
Location: CT (Zone 6B)
Grass Type: KBG, TTTF, TTPR, and FF (various mixtures)
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: How to handle lawn rust during the pause?

Post by Green » November 4th, 2022, 4:02 pm

Sounds like you're on the right track. Next year you can prioritize which diseases may be the biggest issues and save the synthetic fungicides for use on those if needed. In my case, rust is actually the biggest disease challenge I deal with, and the only thing that I end up having to treat each year. I have found that allowing it to get out of hand caused issues, so when it occurs, and if it lingers and starts to spread and worsen, I do treat it with one dose of Propiconazole to stop it. Been doing this for a few years now. This approach has actually seemed to cause the disease to take longer to ramp up in successive years. Maybe I've cut down on the amount of inoculum over time. I will apply it during the early part of the pause if that's when the issue is there...I want any significant disease to be able to grow out before Winter. Rust overwinters in the active state and turns dark and stays there until Spring, when the life cycle resumes. I also do start fertilizing again with Nitrogen in August after a break in July.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 29 guests