DIAGINOSTIC UPDATE 



□ 



allow for good air circulation be- 

 tween the plants. Overhanging 

 branches from nearby trees should 

 be pruned to reduce shading and 

 promote the rapid drying of wet 

 foliage. If overhead irrigation is 

 used, water early in the day to al- 

 low the leaves to dry prior to 

 nightfall. Fungicides will be neces- 

 sary if we have periods of pro- 

 longed wet weather. Management 

 of leaf spot diseases is the same as 

 that of Botrytis blight. 



Turf 



Snow molds have not be as much 

 of a problem as in previous years 

 because of the lack of snow cover 

 (at least in southern areas). For 

 turf that has been hit by snow 

 mold, rake the dead and matted 

 blades from infected areas to allow 

 for new growth. Spring applica- 



tions of fungicides are NOT effec- 

 tive. Red thread and pink patch 

 usually appear on lawns during 

 late-May and June (and again in 

 September). The diseases are most 

 common on perennial ryegrasses 

 and fine-leaf fescues, but can be 

 found on other turfgrass species as 

 well. Infected lawns have a pink- 

 reddish cast when viewed form a 

 distance. These diseases only infect 

 the leaf blades, thus are not very 

 destructive and rarely require 

 chemical control. Collect the clip- 

 pings from infected areas, avoid 

 late-day watering, and maintain 

 pH at 6.5-7.0. Leaf spots and 

 blights and brown patch are also 

 common diseases that appear dur- 

 ing warm weather. Several cultural 

 practices can help to reduce these 

 warm weather diseases. Avoid ex- 

 cessive use of water-soluble nitro- 



gen fertilizers, especially during 

 hot weather. Mow high to avoid 

 plant stress and only remove 1/3 

 of the blade at each cutting. Avoid 

 broadleaf, phenoxy herbicides in 

 areas with leaf spot problems. And, 

 of course, don't water late in the day. 



If you wish to submit plant material 

 to the UNH-PDL for diagnosis, send 

 samples (with a check for $12.00) 

 to: The UNH Plant Diagnostic 

 Lab, CIO Dr. Cheryl Smith, Plant 

 Biology Department, 241 Spaulding 

 Hall-UNH, Durham, NH 03824. 

 Samples should be accompanied by 

 an identification form (available 

 from your county Cooperative Exten- 

 sion office or by calling 862-3200). 

 Cheryl Smith is the UNH Coopera- 

 tive Extension Specialist in Plant 

 Health, and can be reached at 603- 

 862-3841 or e-maii-c heryLsmith@unh.edu. 



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V.O. Box 250, Hn'ehurg, ME 0403" 



Fax: (207) 935-2043 

 Email: wmntrees^nxi.c 



