How To Identify Lawn Diseases
Something looking not quite right on your lawn, but you’re not sure what it is? Use this guide to common lawn diseases to help you ID it and learn how to treat it.
Anytime you grow a bunch of the same plants together, disease problems can take hold and begin to spread before you even notice theyre happening. This can be a real challenge for lawns, because lawns are made of hundreds of thousands of the same type of grass plants. Even when you give your lawn excellent care, the grass can still become infected with various lawn diseases that can lead to dead or discolored areas. Disease spores can float by in the air or hide in the soil, and when conditions are right, they multiply. Thats why its a good idea to protect your lawn, or fight back if disease has already taken hold, with Scotts® DiseaseEX Lawn Fungicide. It starts to work in just 24 hours to prevent and control 26 different lawn diseases for up to 4 weeks .
Here are some of the most common lawn diseases and how to identify them.
Natural Remedies For Lawn Fungus
There are many natural remedies for lawn fungus. These include baking soda solutions, neem oil, and compost teas. For the best results, you should use these natural options early in the season as a preventative rather than waiting to treat your lawn after you already have a fungus.
Neem Oil
This is one of the better natural solutions available. Dilute 2 oz of neem oil into 1 gallon of water. Apply 2.5 gallons of the spray solution per 1,000 sq ft. You will typically need to apply this solution two or three times on a 7 14 day interval to ensure effective control.
Baking Soda
Using a weak baking soda solution to treat lawn fungus issues can be effective but you must be cautious. Baking soda is a salt and like all salts, can damage your lawn.
Grass type and environmental conditions such as rainfall, air temperature and lawn stress all affect how your grass reacts to the baking soda, so you run the risk of doing more harm than good.
Compost Tea
While the use of compost teas are generally considered a good way to increase the organic content of your lawn, research on using them as a natural fungicide is limited. When applied in the spring, compost teas will help to boost the overall health of your lawn and can help your lawn to be less susceptible to getting a fungus in late spring or summer.
However, compost teas alone are usually insufficient in preventing turfgrass diseases.
Clove Oil
How To Tell If Your Lawn Has Fungus
The most important step when you spot fungus or another problem on your lawn is to correctly identify the specific type of disease thats present. Different lawn issues have different causes and symptoms, and treating your grass for the wrong thing could only lead to more damage not to mention, youll still have to deal with the original issues. Before you invest in a treatment, therefore, take the time to closely examine the issue or better yet, get a professional to identify the disease so you know exactly what youre dealing with and choose the right treatment the first time.
There are a number of signs to watch out for that indicate a problem with your lawn, and some of them are more obvious than others. In most cases, discoloration is the most obvious sign, as grass will turn yellow, tan, or brown in spots. Keep in mind, though that its not always a disease that can cause this. Higher than normal temperatures, inadequate watering, and insects can also cause dead or dying areas, only underscoring the need for adequate identification.
Assuming that everything else is normal, discoloration is just one sign that your lawn is sick. Brown patches not attributable to pets, slimy patches of grass, a film covering the grass and spots on individual blades of grass are all signs of an issue. While specific fungi and lawn diseases have unique signs, some of the most common types of disease and fungus include:
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Properly Cleaning Your Lawn Mower
Cleaning your lawn mower is vital for the future prevention of disease.
It is best to clean the undercarriage after mowing otherwise, the clippings can dry and form a crust that may be challenging to remove.
Some mowers have washout ports, which make the whole cleaning process a breeze. Alternatively, you can do the following:
- Empty the fuel tank or run it empty
- Disconnect the spark plug
- Tilt the lawn mower on its side
- Use a garden hose to spray the undercarriage and scrub off the gunk and the grass clippings using a file or scraper and
- Scrape off and rinse any grass clippings and dirt from the top of the mower too.
Make sure to keep the part of the mower where the carburetor and the fuel tank are up, in order to avoid any fuel spillage if you are going to try and clean it while the tank is full. Although not recommended, it can be done.
Before cleaning your lawn mower, make sure to follow the cleaning recommendations in your users guide that came with the mower. Some mowers may have model-specific cleaning instructions that need to be followed.
Water Your Lawn In The Morning
If your grass is wet when night falls, it becomes a favorable environment for lawn fungus to grow. Thats because several of these diseases depend on wet foliage to reproduce and spread.
For this reason, its best to water your lawn before 10 a.m. when dew is still on the ground. Rather than leaving your lawn damp for hours, this approach minimizes the length of time your grass is wet and defends against the rise of lawn disease.
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How To Prevent And Treat Lawn Fungal Diseases
A simple change in your lawn care practices may be enough to prevent or eradicate lawn fungal disease. At other times nature may deliver a soggy spring or summer heat wave that just cant be helped. Stressed or unhealthy lawns are much more likely to develop disease so the better you care for your lawn, the better the grass will be able to handle the natural conditions in your area.
Follow these steps to help take control of fungal diseases in your lawn:
Use High Nitrogen Fertilizer To Enrich Your Lawn
The use of high nitrogen fertilizer is very effective in keeping the lawn healthy and strong enough to fight off lawn fungus. Determine the amount of fertilizer it needs for optimal growth and have it applied by an experienced lawn maintenance company. If in doubt on the type or amount of lawn fertilizer to use, try a little amount of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer at a minimum of two times a year, during spring and after summer, then check for the outcome. If the grass appears to be doing badly, introduce more nitrogen fertilizer to it. Some grasses do well with only twice yearly fertilizer applications.
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How To Treat Your Yard For Lawn Fungus
Once you have determined what type of fungus or disease is present, its time to treat. Its best to treat a diseased lawn as soon as you spot the problem, as some diseases can spread and kill the whole lawn.
The type of disease or fungus you have will determine the best treatment option. In some cases, the issue is weather or seasonally dependent and will clear up on its own once the weather changes. Other problems need immediate mitigation, such as fairy ring, powdery mildew, or smut, as they can kill the plants or cause permanent damage to the lawn.
To treat your issues, first identify whether it can be eradicated via changing your practices. Powdery mildew, for example, may be able to be taken care of by rinsing the plants and getting rid of leaves or any other nearby debris that is causing it to spread. Avoiding overwatering, letting the grass grow a bit longer between mowing and not over fertilizing can also help clear up the problem.
Some homeowners prefer to try to treat lawn diseases organically, rather than using fungicide. If your areas of fungus are small, using treatments like neem oil, cornmeal or baking soda solutions can be effective. Before you opt for an organic approach, though, do your research and be aware of the potential drawbacks. In some cases, using home remedies can only make the problem worse, or introduce new, unexpected issues.
Possible Causes To Consider
What causes lawn fungus? Lots of things! The best way to stop lawn fungus is knowing what causes it, too.
The following are some of the most common reasons why fungus grows in grass.
- Drought
- High humidity
- Compacted soil
Preventing lawn fungus starts with healthy soil and proper maintenance, but even then, it often takes an expert eye to keep it at bay.
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Causes Of Lawn Fungal Diseases
Just like there are a plethora of species of fungi that live inside the human bodies without causing any diseases, there are also numerous types of fungal organisms that inhabit your lawn.
Many of these are beneficial, but there are also pathogens that if left will multiply uncontrollably and cause various maladies to the grass of your turf.
If allowed, these fungi dont only give your turf an unpleasant look but can destroy your entire lawn in favorable conditions. Moreover, the lawnmowers can quickly spread the fungus to other healthy parts of your lawn.
If you notice the fungal infection in an initial stage and you apply the right fungicide on time, the affected areas of grass have many chances to fully recover in 2-3 weeks.
Several factors that can cause a lawn fungal infection:
- High humidity level
- Sudden changes in temperature and humidity
- Mowing the grass too low
From all the causes mentioned earlier, I would say that the high humidity level is the most common cause.
Since your lawn grass grows outside, you dont always have full control over how much water it receives. For instance, during long periods of rain, plus an improper water drainage caused by poor landscape grading, your lawn is the proper environment for the development of harmful fungal pathogens.
Drought and the lack of enough water might as well favor the occurrence of these conditions. A balanced watering schedule is, therefore, essential for any lawn.
Lawn Fungus How To Prevent
Q: What is an appropriate product and application schedule for preventing fungus in my lawn for the coming year? Last year brown patch was a particular problem.
A: Lawn fungus problems are best addressed by correcting your lawn management practices, not by applying fungicides. Disease-ridden lawns are typically shady, have standing water, are irrigated and fertilized too frequently and are not mowed at the correct height. If you match your lawn grass species and maintenance practices to the site, disease problems will disappear. Get my lawn maintenance calendars at xrl.us/LAWNCALENDAR.
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Preventing Brown Patch: Do The Basics
Good basic lawn care practices represent the best way to prevent brown patch and other lawn diseases.
the best way to prevent brown patch or large patch in the home lawn is by following good lawn care practices, Clemson HGIC says.
Once you have an outbreak, you really cant treat symptoms, Patton says. Whats already been affected wont be cured overnight.
The best defense for your lawn, as with other pest and disease problems, is a good foundation, he said. the best way to prevent brown patch or large patch in the home lawn is by following good lawn care practices, according to Clemsons guide.
Attention to cultural practices taking proper care of your lawn with regular mowing, proper fertilizing, irrigation, air circulation and weed control help prevent brown patch.
Does Cornmeal Work For Grass Fungus
For brown patches in your lawn, you can rely on horticultural cornmeal. This remedy helps with the fungus, and also provides the grass with healthy nutrients. So, how does the cornmeal treatment work? Essentially, it attracts the Trichoderma fungus which helps kill the harmful fungi in your lawn.
For every 1000 square feet of lawn, you would need about 10-20 pounds of cornmeal. The results should be visible in about three weeks. Apply 10 to 20 pounds of cornmeal per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
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Lawn Disease & Fungus Control: How To Get Rid Of Lawn Diseases
This page is a general lawn disease and fungus control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you can get control of any lawn fungus or disease. The lawn disease category pages provide additional information on the different types of fungus and disease and specific treatment instructions and options. Follow these guides and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of all lawn fungus issues.
Has your lush green lawn all of a sudden started experiencing patches or has started to brown? It can be a cause for concern as there may be a lawn disease or fungus present. Lawn fungus and disease can come in a variety of forms. Some signs of disease include discoloration, brown and yellow patches of dead grass, the appearance of mushrooms, spots on leaves, or slimy/powdery residue among other examples.
Lawn diseases and fungi can progress on a yard quickly, starting out as yellow, tan or brown spots in your yard before degrading into something worse, potentially even killing your turfgrass if there is no intervention.
If your lawn is suffering from fungus-based diseases, we can help. By using our cost-effective lawn fungus killers and following the step by step instructions in our DIY lawn and fungus treatment guide below, youre guaranteed to make your lawn disease-free while saving money.
Do You Have To Sanitize Your Lawn Mower
Of course, one of the ways to keep fungus from spreading to your lawn is by sanitizing your lawn mower. If things are definitely getting out of control, this may be a necessary action you need to take each time you are going to mow a different lawn.
However, let me point your focus back to the three main conditions fungus needs to spread.
Maintaining a healthy environment is vital in order to maintain a fungus-free lawn. In which case, your lawn mower may not necessarily need to be sanitized or disinfected.
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Time To Identify And Cure Your Lawn Disease
With a firm grasp of the various grass fungi and the diseases they cause, you can now scout your yard effectively and sniff out these diseases. In most cases, quick action is essential, so use this new understanding to get a quick jump on these fungi and diseases before they ruin your gorgeous turf.
Apply Fungicide If Needed
To control lawn diseases such as brown patch and dollar spot – or help prevent them if you have had disease problems in previous years – apply a fungicide made for lawns. Scotts® DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide provides broad spectrum disease prevention and control. You can apply any time on all lawn types. Just be sure to follow the directions on the label.
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How To Put A Stop To Lawn Fungus Before It Appears
Are you tired of dealing with lawn fungus year after year? Youre not alone. Many homeowners are accustomed to seeing the straw-colored grass patches of dollar spot, the pinkish-red strands of red thread and the cotton-like patches of grey snow mold in their lawn.
When these types of lawn fungus appear, there are ways to counteract their emergence. You can apply fungicides to minimize dollar spot, use nitrogen-based fertilizer to reduce red thread and rake up infected areas and overseed bare spots to treat gray snow mold . While these solutions will always be available when issues do arise, the fact remains that its far better to prevent versus treat lawn fungus. And with the right lawn care practices in place, you can do just that.
Is Fungus Or Mold Growing In Your Lawn Heres How To Stop It
Richard Nunn, The Morning Show meteorologist
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Throughout parts of the Jacksonville area, we have seen more than 9 inches of rain for the month so far. All of this wet weather might be leading to growth you dont want, namely fungus and mold.
Believe it or not, I have the same issues in varying amounts and coverage in a few persistent wet spots. Here are some verified tips you can use to bring these lawn wreckers to heel or get rid of them once and for all.
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Got milk? Yes, milk does your body and your yard good. Mix one cup of skim milk to nine cups of water. Spray affected areas twice a week to control and kill mold. Skim milk contains amino acids and salts, which help control and kill fungus. This is safe for pets, plants and wild animals.
Or how about baking soda? Sodium bicarbonate can help control fungus from household plants to yard ornamentals. Be careful with application as too much will increase the soils pH levels. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a gallon of water. Spray affected areas every three days until the mold or fungus is gone.
These last two options work to both smother some plant pests and keep fungus in check.
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