Well it must be September and it must finally be dry because I have seen some serious outbreaks of rust on many perennial ryegrass lawns throughout the area over the past week. Leaf rust has been most noticeable on lawns that are newly planted and malnourished, both excellent conditions favoring the development of this turf problem. The good news is that rust is seldom a serious problem and will rarely completely kill a turf. Mostly it is just aesthetically unpleasing. If you haven’t initiated your fall fertility program and fertilized for September, now is an excellent time to do so. An application of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet that is irrigated into the soil will really kick start your turf and get it growing again. The added nitrogen should help encourage new turf growth and limit any further spread of rust. For more information on rust consult Dr. Latin’s leaf rust publication. http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-110-W.pdf
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