The cool, humid weather helped the development of some turf diseases that required treatment. One disease, Microdochium Patch (a.k.a. Fusarium and/or Pink Snow Mould ---multiple names which refer to the same disease. Just depends on the conditions when the disease occurs.) became prominent last week on certain greens. We pretty much plan on getting Fusarium at least once or twice every spring and as late as mid June if the weather is cool and wet. There are indicator greens which are more prone (same old, same old conditions: shade, poor air circulation, high percentage of Poa annua, & excessive fertility) to developing the disease and usually we base the level of treatment on the severity of disease present on those greens.
One of the Many Fusarium Spots
Another disease we are dealing with is occurring on those greens that over wintered poorly and had to be over seeded. Again, conditions like we are experience this spring (poor air circulation, cool, and damp) favour development of a disease called Pythium Root Rot. Generally, this disease is not a problem and can often be ignored. This year, however, there is new seedlings that lack a well developed root mass and established turf that is still trying to recover from this winters stresses; as a result, the disease was starting to affect plant health and it became necessary to treat it.
Spraying for Pythium Root Rot
