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What is brown patch and what can I do to prevent it? Brown Patch is a disease, which is most prevalent during the period of time when our day-time temperature is beginning the transformation from summer to fall. This disease develops from a soil born spore and it's most defining characteristic is analmost perfect circle with a gold ring around the edge. The three contributing factors to brown patch development are cooler temperatures, an abundance of moisture and also an abundance of nitrogen fertilizer. We have no control of temperature therefore we must concentrate on the other two. You should limit your supplemental irrigation to only when necessary. In the fall most grasses can go up to two or three weeks without rain before stress occurs. You should not apply any fall fertilizer until the cooler temperature transition is complete. When you do apply your fertilizer be sure it has a limited amount of nitrogen in it. -What can I do if my grass develops Brown Patch? The first thing we must remember is that we have to limit any supplemental irrigation to only the very minimum. This should be 1" of moisture every 2 to 3 weeks. If you can push your finger into the soil below the grass it does not need any irrigation. Do not make a fertilizer application of any type during periods of Brown Patch development. You may need to make an application of fungicide to help halt the development of this disease. Consult your local nurseryman for the recommended product for your area. However, these products are designed more for prevention than as a cure. Ideally, you should make an application of fungicide just prior to the passage of the first cool front of the season. This will searve as a preventative and you will have much better results controlling this disease. -When is it too late to plant grass In most areas of Texas grass is planted year round. This process has been done this way for many years and only during periods of extreme cold, where we experience ground freezing would you expect damage to your new lawn. There are however certain management practices you should follow to insure the survival of your new lawn. The first and most important is adequate moisture. Many people feel that because grass is brown and dormant that it doesn't need moisture. One must remember that the plant is dormant and not dead. The grass will still require 1" of moisture every 2 to 3 weeks during this period. This should be achieved by rainfall or supplemental irrigation. Another good practice for newly established lawns would be to water thoroughly just prior to periods of extreme cold. This moisture will help insulate the roots and growth points in the lawn. The cooler periods of the year are really good times of the year to plant grass because they will require less water for establishment. -I want to plant grass under my shade trees. What is the best method of doing this? The first rule of thumb that must be applied to this situation is do I have enough sunlight for grass survival? There has to be at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight with filtered sun during the day for even the most shade tolerant warm season grasses to survive.

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