I posted this on the grass forum, but this might be a hot Carolina summer issue, so thought I'd post it here as well. Our nice mondo grass border by our front porch has a problem. Grass is rapidly becoming brown and dead looking. I'm guessing its fungal, but not sure. It has always been lush and green, with no issues. Does anyone have an opinion of the cause and a recommendation for the cure?
Thanks in advance,
Entlie
Having the same problem, except mine is losing whole blades, whereas yours looks like mostly the tips are affected. I'd say yours is due to too much sun, too little water. Do you water in that area? Has the sun pattern changed since you've had the border (i.e. is it getting more sun?). After the last few years of low rain, I've lost a number of plants this year. Its like they made it through the drought and cold winter, but are so stressed they are dying now. As I've planted things this year, I've noticed how dry the subsoil is, even after we've had a bit of rain. You might try digging down deep, and checking moisture levels. And remember, even if they are damp now, you could be seeing the results of prolonged stress in the past. Who knew that even Mondo grass could die? I never thought I'd have to worry about IT!!
Thanks, Yotedog. I went to our local garden center and talked with the expert there, whose opinion I value. Also did some internet research. I water the vinca behind it often. It's been in the same place and flourished for years, in full sun, and I thin it along the edges every year. It is very thick, and I will certainly check the subsoil.
It could be fungal. It seems to be moving along the strip of grass, and I can almost see daily changes in the progress. Bought a systemic fungicide recommended by the garden center, and once the rain stops, I'll try that. It could also be that we've exhausted the soil, and it just needs to be dug up, soil amended, and some of the healthy plants replanted later in the year when the weather is better.
So. Could be it's too thick to get water and nutrients into the subsoil, could be fungal, and maybe it just needs fertilizer.
Sure hope it survives - I too thought Mondo was almost indestructible!
I have some liriope that is looking just like yours, Entlie. It doesn't get any watering from me, and it's not mulched.
ten feet away, in even more sun, is the same liriope, but mulched. It's beautifully green and lush.
Mulch could be the answer, but it's pretty well trapped between the vinca and the sidewalk and no room for mulch in its present state. I stuck a water meter down into it, and the morning after an inch and a half of rain, it showed smack in the mid range. However we have very sandy soil which drains fast. It's been raining, and I'm going to put the systemic fungicide on after it dries out today.
if it is a fungus, how about treating it with either a soap rinse, or a Daconil drench?
I'm having the same problem with my dwarf Mondo too, Entlie! But mine was a newer planting that never really "took". Just struggled for 2 years, and now appears to have given up. It's planted in the "death bed" (the raised bed in the backyard, closest to the river, but a good 5' above MHT, and gets plenty of fresh water daily. Need to dig a soil sample...
"...the death bed.." Love it--don't we all have one of those somewhere in our yard? Mine is under the maple tree....
Only one? :-)
Funny, I have no trouble growing weeds in my death beds.
ain't that the truth!
Y'all make me feel good! I thought I was the only person in the whole Carolina's with a bona fide death bed. Here's what seems to consistently tolerate conditions in my death bed: Asparagus Ferns, Holly ferns, Achimenes (but only the blue ones) and Tradescantia. Year after year. But that's it. Weird mix of plants. I can grow Coleus there (which I do) on an annual basis, and Evolvulus (Blue Daze) always performs well in the death bed. But that's about it. Everything else dies. This year (first time), I have a jillion coleus seedlings coming up, a result of lazy dead-heading last year. I'm going to let them grow to see what happens...
You know, there's a reason 'Cast Iron' plant is called CAST IRON plant, and hellebores are called HELLebores....that's all I'm gonna say!
I hear ya yote dog! But sometimes they lie. My Hellebores seem to be survivors in the death bed...year after year. Go figure...
Surprisingly, the other plant that is holding up mighty well in the death bed is huechera--various cultivars. It has amazed me with its willingness to survive in rotten, dry, icky, soil.
and I have trouble keeping hellabores alive....
Yote - you got me laughing my you know what off with your cast iron plant and helleborous statements!....hope ur well lady!
I had this problem last year w/ a large, established patch of dwarf mondo. At first, the blades would get some tip burn and general yellowing of foliage. Eventually affected plants would completely brown out and die. Diseased plants could be easily pulled out as roots were rotting away. After searching around on web discovered it was caused by Pythium splendens. The soil in this garden was particularly heavy and was probably getting too much water from combination of overhead irrigation and rain. I cut back irrigation and used a drench to control Pythium. I can't remember the fungicide I used but anything for control of this Pythium should work.
Bob
Bob, this sounds exactly like what is happening to mine. I sprayed it with Fertilome systemic fungicide about 10 days ago, and I'll check the label to see if it covers this Pythium. You are correct, it probably is too much water, because I have been watering this particular bed on a very regular basis - it's the showpiece of our front walkway. Did yours come back ok?
Thanks - Entlie
Forgot to add, Yote, that my Aspidistra (three different varieties from Plants Delight) in the death bed just couldn't handle the situation (whatever it is). I planted them there originally for that very reason---they're "cast iron" plants. But not in my death bed! They were "cast iron no-growth-and-struggling" plants. I moved them this year to a spot that is (what I think) a far more inhospitable site (soil wasn't amended, poor drainage, minimal water), and they're doing fine! Go figure...
Entlie,
The drench seemed to stop the root rot problem. After a month I removed as much of the old dead foliage by scratching around the mondo w/ my hand. I waited to be sure the remaining mondo had recovered and was fully rooted. This spring we lightly spread 1/2"-3/4" of compost around the mondo where there were bare spots. It's looking great now!
Thanks, Bob. I pulled out as much as I could of the dead grass, but not to the point of bare spots. Did a second systemic fungicide spraying, and I think it actually is looking better. Every time I deadhead the vinca, I pull out a few more dead mondo stems, and it looks better all the time. I'll try to remember to mulch in the spring, and next year I'm not planting the vinca right up against it, even though I love that look.
Entlie
Well my mondo grass is dark green and luxurious again. I just pulled the flowering vinca out from behind it, and thought I'd send a picture. The problem persisted for a couple of months, then it started coming back. I treated it twice with systemic fungicide, and targeted my watering more on the vinca than on the mondo. This has always done well in full sun, but I think the excessive summer heat was also an issue. Thanks for all your comments and advice.
Entlie
It looks beautiful now, so good to hear it is back to normal.
Glad your's is doing so much better Entlie. That gives me hope, but I'm unwilling to treat mine, as it covers quite a large area throughout my front yard and my yard slopes to a creek. Hate to use fungicides, herbicides etc. Will do a bit of research but wondering if either you or Bob The SC Gardener knows if the plants can recover so long as the area remains dry? I'm not certain this is my problem, anyway, as my grass never gets supplemental water, and it hasn't exactly been a wet year....
Yotedog, I didn't use much systemic fungicide at all, just a light spray twice, but I don't have the runoff issue that you do. I am not sure if it affected the cure or not. In dry years some grasses go brown and recover the next season, and heck, I'm not even sure mondo is a true grass, but here's hoping some winter respite from that record heat will be the cure.
I hear you, Entlie!!! I'm loving this weather! Maybe this is a topic for a new thread, but has anyone else noticed very confused plants? I've got a number of plants sprouting and/or blooming that should be doing that in the spring, not now. My guess is they went dormant due to heat and lack of water, and with the mild weather and rain we've had, they think its spring. Here's my current list:
crocuses
artichoke (died back, but now sprouting)
potatoes (sprouting and growing --must have missed harvesting a few)
one spring blooming tree-can't remember name
hydrangea-mophead-blooming
'May Night' Salvia- (normally spring/early summer blooming)
Echinacea--putting out a full set of buds/blooms, as in spring
Gerber daisy--sprouted, grew and now blooming--all since September
Huechera-blooming
and my Roma tomatoes, which completely stopped producing in July, are going gang-busters (I counted 27 on one plant yesterday)
Hey Yotedog
Even after the brutal heat we had this summer my customer's mondo looks fantastic. For the past few years, the mondo always had a lot of tip burn and bleached foliage after the summer months and gaps had formed between plants. I think the top dressing of compost was the main factor. It is now a perfect carpet of deep green foliage. We did have some small caterpillars doing damage in mid summer but they were dispatched w/ some bt. You may be fine w/o fungicide if you encourage healthy plants w/ mushroom compost in Spring.
Hope this helps!
Bob
Where to you get mushroom compost?
If you need mushrooms my yard is full of them.LOL
Lavina
It is available at just about all the big box stores and the local feed and seeds around here. I use a lot of it because it is so well composted it is pretty odorless. If I put out something like Black Kow the dog rolls in it. :-(
I buy it by the truckload from 4 Seasons on John's Island here, Ardesia, and they have been a reliable source for better than 10 yrs. Good folk. The stuff is great, but pretty expensive compared to the compost available from the local landfill---which is almost as good, now. I use mushroom compost on (initially) "new beds", and routinely on my wife's "special beds".That local landfill composting effort here underwent some "management changes" recently---got serious about what they're doing, and the improvement has been duly noted. Ph no longer a problem. Plastic, metal junk, etc., negligible...and such a bargain! $10 a ton! I use it as mulch on all my beds and in the veggie garden (I, of course, don't have any "special beds"...even though I do ALL of the growing...funny how that works)... I'm sure you understand (and totally approve!) even though I don't...
Good info! Thanks!
Sigh, Beaufort county dumps their organic waste in a landfill. So DUMB....
LOL on the "special beds".
Ok, Lavina--I'll trade your "mushrooms" compost for my I-didn't-plant-it-and-don't-want-it clover cover crop!!!!
Here's the funny thing--last year, I actually planted clover as my winter cover crop in my vege garden....all the while staring at the native clover I'd love to get out of my lawn...gardening is so humbling...
Yote I have crab grass bad when I dig stuff. My flowers were covered with it so had to weed a lot.
I don't have a King Kong anywhere tho.
LOL
Lavina
