African Black Beetle
Adults grow into 10-15mm shiny black beetles. The males have a thickend tarsus on the front leg to help them burrow.
PROBLEM IDENTIFIER
Anthracnose
Leaves of infected plants turn yellow to a light tan to brown before dying. Young leaves can turn red, Basel stem and leaf sheath's rot.
Argentine Stem Weevil
The mature adult is a dark grey to black weevil with mottled grey body markings and a protuding snout up to 3mm in length.
Argentinian Scarab
The adult beetle is the same size and shape to the African Black Beetle but is a mid tan colour with subtle striping on the hard outer covering.
Billbug
The immature Billbug is a legless, creamy white C shaped larvae with an orange head capsule and a body up to 10mm in length.
Bindii
Bindii is a winter growing annual weed, low growing and has a rosette growth habit. Also known as Jo-Jo Weed or Onehunga.
Black Cutworm
Mainly found on bentgrass greens. The larval stage appears as a smooth bodied, dark coloured caterpillar with longitudinal lines.
Brown Patch
Brown discoloured circular patches, ranging from a few centimetres up to a metre in diameter, sometimes with a smoke ring of mycelium.
Capeweed
Capeweed generally occurs in winter, typically after autumn rains. Capeweed can be a hardy weed and should be controlled early.
Cats Ear
Cats Ear has yellow flowers that resemble a dandelion, if you break the stem it will secrete a milky residue.
Couchgrass Decline
The lower leaves become chlorotic and irregular saped patches up to 1 m in diameter start to appear.
Couchgrass Mite
The immature Couchgrass Mite is a translucent bodied mite which is invisible to the naked eye at only 0.1-0.15mm in length.
Creeping Oxalis
Creeping Oxalis form a dense mat and takes over large areas, suffocating anything growing underneath.
Crowsfoot
Crowsfoot seed heads appear from late spring or early summer and can have 10 spikelets on each long stem.
Cudweed
Cudweed is common in poor soils, is a prolific seed producer which can multiply quickly through seed dispersal.
Curvularia
Individual leaves initially show yellow and green dapple patterns that extend downwards from the leaf tip.
Dollar Spot
Sunken circular tan coloured spots, may coalesce into larger areas. Humid, cool conditions may see the development of white mycelial growth.
Earthworms
Earthworms do not feed on live plants, the turf surface may be disrupted from earthworm activity usually when the sun appears after rain.
Fairy Ring
Fairy Ring can present in rings or arc shapes or irregular patterns. Type ll and lll symptoms are not devastating to turf.
Fleabane
Fleabane, also known as butterweed or horseweed is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family.
Helminthosporium
Initial symptoms are small lesions on leaf blades, leaf tissue turns yellow and severely infected leaves will die.
Lawn Armyworm
Lawn Armyworm is a damaging pest when in the larval life stage. The larvae are a soft bodied caterpillar with a dark coloured body.
Mouse Ear Chickweed
Mouse ear chickweed spreads by seed, so ideally, should be removed before it has the chance to flower. Usually flowers from April to November.
Nematodes
Plant parasitic nematodes feed on plant roots. Varieties include: Sting, Spiral, Sheath, Ring, Root Lesion, Root-knot and Stubby.
Onion Grass
Onion Grass is a problem weed of turfgrass areas. Normally seen on golf course roughs, it can invade fairways.
Paspalum
Paspalum is a perennial grass weed that spreads through the transportation os sticky seeds, which adhere to animals and equipment.
Plantain
Plaintain is common weed in turf especially once the soils has been disturbed and is moist. Flowers from mid spring through until summer.
Pythium Leaf Blight
Pythium Leaf Blight appears suddenly during hot, humid weather. Infected leaves become light tan to brown, shriveled and matted when dry.
Pythium Root Rot
Affected turf may appear thin, off colour and growth slows. It may occur in patches or as a general decline of large areas.
Red Thread
Dead leaves are interspersed amongst uninfected leaves giving an overall diffuse, scorched or ragged appearance to the patch.
Ryegrass
Ryegrass is a cool season perennial grass with a tufted growth habit, glossy dark green leaves and resistance to many herbicides.
Seedling Damping Off
Damping Off appears as blighted seedlings. Individual seedlings are stunted with water soaked leaves.
Sod Webworm
Sod Webworm is a thick caterpillar up to 25mm long with a pale green-brown body that is marked with characteristic dark spots.
Spring Dead Spot
Circular patches of bleached, straw coloured dead grass appear in spring as the dormant grass regrows.
Summer Grass
Summer Grass will compete for nutrients and space against desirable turfgrass species or when turf is this and open.
Take-All Patch
Take-all patch symptoms begin as a slight reddening or bronzing of bentgrass usually in a ring in the summer months.
Thistle
Thistle is an invasive species in some parts and infestations can quickly increase in density and can dominate vegetation.
White Clover
White Clover usually occurs in parkland and golf fairways throughout early winter and spring. It flourishes with heavy rainfall or irrigation.
Winter Fusarium
Circular patches appear as small. Water soaked spots less than 5cm in diameter. Patches change in colour.
Winter Grass
Winter Grass can establish itself at any time during the year but is prevalent in winter and spring. Also known as Poa annua.