Have you looked at your lawn recently and noticed that it seems a bit, well, patchy or brown?
In an ideal world, everyone’s lawn would be lush, green, and vibrant. However, as is the way, even the most pretty of lawns can succumb to disease, and these often are a mixture of fungal activity, improper lawn care and environmental factors.
With so many things that can go wrong with your slice of heaven, you need to know the most common issues your lawn can face and how to treat them. With that in mind, here are the most common lawn diseases, their features, and how you can treat them.
Brown Patch
This is, as the name suggests, a lawn disease that presents as a brown patch.
It is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia and it thrives in warmer climates and humid weather. You can spot it with ease, as it looks like brown patches of dead grass, which are often surrounded by a dark ring.
Treatment is pretty simple. Mow the area with a high-quality mower, like a Cub Cadet, and make sure to apply fungicide directly to the area. Ideally, you will want one that contains azoxystrobin or propiconazole. Try to avoid overwatering and over-fertilizing and improve lawn aeration to get rid of moisture.
Dollar Spot
Is your lawn covered in spots that are the size of a silver dollar? If so, you’ve got dollar spot, which is caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. It can also cause the grass to become straw-colored, and it is most common in lawns that have nitrogen deficiencies.
To treat it, you need to maintain a regular fertilization schedule and make sure that your soil has adequate nitrogen. Try to mow it to an appropriate height and use fungicides based on chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl.
Snow Mold
It’s called snow mold because it develops under snow cover in late winter and early spring. It can look like pink or gray patches, and it is caused by two different types of fungi: Microdochium nivale for pink snow mold or Typhula spp for gray snow mold.
You can prevent it by raking up fallen leaves and debris in the fall, as this will reduce fungal spores. Try to avoid using heavy nitrogen fertilizers before winter. In severe cases, fungicides like iprodione can help.
Red Thread
As the name suggests, red thread appears as a thin, red line or thread that extends up through the blades of grass. It is usually caused by the fungus Laetisaria fuciformis. As before, this condition is more likely to impact lawns that have lower nitrogen levels. To get rid of red thread, you need to fertilize your lawn with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, as this will help to strengthen the grass. You can apply a standard fungicide if the problem persists, but generally, it is advised to improve drainage, aerate the soil, keep the grass cut to an acceptable level (2.5 to 3 inches), and avoid overwatering the lawn to prevent further fungal issues.