Bermuda has fungus....I think

[jrod]

I am new to the program and am trying to convert my lawn, starting with the front yard. My lawn is 4 yrs old now, but since yr. 1, I have noticed a browning/yellowing of the blades about the end of spring every year (and it has spread year on year). The lawn will start out looking great :D but then the fungus reactivates eventually. :cry:

Upon taking a closer look at the blades, they appear to have cigarette-type burn spots. I have been told it's a type of fungus. I have used malathyon(sp?) which seemed to work last year, but I did not want to get hooked on this treatment for obvious reasons. Also, I have been told that you can't get rid of the fungus, only control it.

This year I decided to put organic products on the yard: lava sand and hoticulture cornmeal. I still have the problem, especially since the rain we had in the last couple of weeks in the N. Texas area. I reapplied the HCM after the heavy rains and it the fungus seems to be retreating.

Does this sound like I have fungus? What should I do differently?

Thanks for your help!

BTW, I bought my horticulture corn meal (Alliance Milling) at Russell Feed Store in Lake Worth...$14.99/ 50 lb. bag

[ZIPPER]

Jrod:
Welcome to the BB first off.

Regarding your problem, my two cents worth:

As I understand it, the fungus occurs in the Spring when the nights are cool and the days are warm, so damage was early on.

Use Whole Ground cornmeal. I get mine at the Farm and Ranch Feed Stores for about 10 cents a pound. 50# bag = 3000 sq ft

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

I agree with Zip. And if you're paying $0.30/pound for corn meal, I would call around looking for a better price.

Application rate for fertilizing is 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Application rate for fungus when the disease is running rampant is at least 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.