We work with many Calgary homeowners who want to have the perfect, green lawn. And, with the help of our landscaping experts, they generally achieve that goal. But while the Five Star Landscaping team is ready to help, not all Calgarians are ready or able to hire lawn experts. So, for all those Calgarians taking care of their own yards, here some of the common lawn diseases you may need to identify and fight.

Fairy Rings are caused by a type of fungus that lives deep in the soil. The disease grows in a circle outward from central point. The identifying symptom is a ring of very green, lush grass surrounding an inner band of weak, sickly grass. Sometimes, a circle of mushrooms (the blooming fruit of the fungus) will also begin to grow, but mushrooms won’t necessarily be visible. Fairy rings can be notoriously difficult to get rid of. Because the fungus contaminates close to a foot of soil, trying to remove all the contaminated soil is not only expensive but often futile. The general recommendation is to have your soil aerated, then use a pitchfork to poke holes (at least a foot or 30 cm deep) into the areas showing symptoms, and finally, water like crazy for 4-6 weeks. For whatever reason, the fairy ring fungus seems to get flushed out by excessive watering. Aerating and making holes will help the water penetrate the soil and wash away the fungus.

Puppy Problems.

Many dog owners have brown, dead-spots all over their back lawn. Dog urine is full of nitrogen, and while a little nitrogen is good for plants, too much causes your grass to die. Dog owners with large (they produce more urine), female (they squat, so urine is deposited all in one place) dogs are the most likely to have problems, but a male shih tzu is also perfectly capable of leaving spots if his peeing-area is small enough. While there are ton of products advertising to fix dog spots by doing this, that, and the other thing, none of them are proven to work.

Here is how you can prevent dog spots. First, see if you can find a place for your dog to pee that won’t hurt the lawn. Perhaps they’ll urinate on mulch or gravel. If so, problem solved. If not, train them to pee in an area that doesn’t matter as much and use a hose to dilute the urine once they’re finished. You can also try taking them for an extra walk or two. That way they’re peeing at the park instead of in your backyard. Never buy dog spot preventing supplements or medicines or feed anything to your dog without your vet’s express approval. These products could harm your animal, and they almost certainly don’t work.

Keeping a happy lawn in Calgary can be a lot of work. Our summers tend to be hot and dry, and that means a lot of brown yards. We hope that this blog helps you to keep your lawn in better health, and if you need any help with your landscaping, call in the experts at Five Star Landscaping today!