Rust never sleeps

As summer slowly yields to fall and everything slowly takes on an orange hue; the trees, your pumpkin spice latte, your lawn...wait a minute...your lawn?

That's right. There has been an unusual abundance of rust turf disease on lawns this year. The formation of the spores often occurs when there are cool nights with heavy dew and frequent rainfall. Warm cloudy, humid conditions followed by bright hot sun also favor the formation of the spores. 

Basically, anytime the grass is not allowed to dry out after a period of 6 to 8 hours, rust on grass begins to form. Grass rust problems also appear more frequently when thatch in lawns is too thick or mowing is infrequent.

But don't panic. This is a problem that is easily fixed. In fact, most grass rust problems can usually be resolved with good maintenance and healthy practices. A shot of nitrogen fertilizer and removing the clippings when you do you next cut to keep the spores from spreading is an excellent place to start Watering early morning so the grass can dry evenly will also help prevent further issue.

Let the orange stay when it belongs at this time of the year...on a pumpkin, not on your lawn.