A Fungus Not Seen For Three Decades Is Back And Ruining Lawns Across Maine
By Michelle|Published July 21, 2020
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
Lawns anywhere can be a source of pride for those who work to upkeep them. But here in Maine, with beauty around every turn, lawns are something more. It’s where we painstakingly grow our gardens, it’s where we spend time with friends and family and it’s just…nice to look at. If you’ve looked around recently you may have noticed that lawns around the state are changing. And it’s not necessarily the drought!
A beautiful lawn is something special. It hints at care and work and offers a real sense of accomplishment when seen from inside the house. Plus, it's just plain nice to sit around in a fresh, green lawn.
Maine is facing a drought at the moment which is causing problems for many lawns, but there's another foe here working to undermine all of our hard (yard) work!
The culprit is a pathogen known as Cladosporium which takes advantage of dying plant tissue. The result is a typically bright green lawn turning brown and patchy.
The condition itself us called black lawn and the appearances change when the black spores invade. And because Cladosporium travels in the wind and on water droplets it can move around quickly.
While the condition might seem rare, it could have been lurking here for all those decades. The last few weeks of drought, recent humidity and rain have created the perfect circumstances for the fungus to increase and spread.
What can you do? Not a whole lot, unfortunately. Once it's gone, it's gone, and returning to a green lawn will require re-seeding. However, there is some good news. The fungus preys on grass that's already facing problems, so keeping things fresh, well-fed and watered should help you avoid it.
Have you experienced the effects of Cladosporium? If so, let us know who you figured it out and what you’ve been able to do to remedy the problem. And if you’re currently experiencing the problem with no end in sight, we suggest visiting some gardens to get your mind off things. This is a magical secret garden in Maine you’ll want to visit at least once.
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