- 1). Water your Kentucky bluegrass less frequently in shady areas than in full sunlight. Over-watering encourages powdery mildew growth. Water the Kentucky bluegrass deeply but only in the absence of adequate rainfall, wetting the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Also, water the lawn in the morning so that the grass has time to dry.
- 2). Reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that you apply to your Kentucky bluegrass to help control powdery mildew growth. Feed your Kentucky bluegrass no more than 1 lb.of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Don't apply nitrogen fertilizer in late summer or autumn to prevent powdery mildew-attracting succulent tissue growth.
- 3). Improve sunlight penetration and air circulation around your Kentucky bluegrass to help control and prevent powdery mildew. Prune or remove trees and shrubs to reduce the amount of shade on the lawn areas. Prune and thin out overcrowded landscape plants in and around the lawn areas affected by the fungal disease to increase air circulation.
- 4). Apply an appropriate fungicide to your Kentucky bluegrass if cultural controls and proper maintenance don't effectively treat the powdery mildew. Fungicides that are effective against powdery mildew in Kentucky bluegrass include chlorothalonil, propiconazole, myclobutanil, triadimefon and azoxystrobin. Make two or more fungicide applications to the lawn during spring or late summer every one to three weeks. Spray the lawn area thoroughly to cover the grass completely with the fungicide, following the directions on the product label.
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