Introduction
As a homeowner, you are aware of the challenges of keeping your lawn green and healthy. A patchy lawn looks hideous and doesn’t sit well with the local HOA. If the lawn looks irredeemable, you can search for “landscape companies near me” for some professional help. For now, let’s check out how you can identify and treat different types of lawn diseases.
The Treatments
1. Brown Patch – If you notice large brown patches on your lawn, it’s probably due to brown patch lawn disease. This is caused by Rhizoctonia solani, a lawn fungus. The fungus thrives in humid and warm environments and is a common lawn disease. Usually, your lawn is affected by brown patch lawn disease during the fall and spring seasons. To identify the disease accurately, look out for the following symptoms:
- Oval or circular-shaped brown patches with a diameter of two to eight feet.
- Grass blades appear brown or wilted.
- Patches of brown grass are surrounded by green rings.
Treating brown patch lawn disease usually involves aerating and watering your lawn the right way. If that doesn’t help, you’ll need to apply a fungicide. Make sure to keep kids and pets away from the lawn for a few days after applying the fungicide.
2. Dollar Spot – Dollar Spot is one of the most common lawn diseases in the country and is caused by the fungi Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. The disease usually appears during early summer or late spring and is common on lawns that are stressed by droughts or poorly fertilized. To identify this disease, look out for the following symptoms:
- Patches of brown surrounded by a yellowish halo.
- Small and round patches of brown with a diameter of four inches or less.
- Broken or stunted grass blades.
The only way to treat dollar spot disease is to use a fungicide. Follow the instructions on the label carefully while applying a fungicide. Apply it during the early morning or during the evening to avoid hot temperatures and high humidity that can evaporate the fungicide and affect its drift.
3. Fairy Ring – Marasmiusoreades is the fungi responsible for fairy ring lawn disease. It occurs during early summer or late spring and is very common on lawns that have poor drainage or are located in shady areas. Look for the following symptoms to identify this disease:
- Brown patches surrounded by a green ring.
- Ring or circular-shaped brown patches with a diameter of two to eight feet.
- Fungi or mushrooms growing in the affected area.
While there’s a dedicated fungicide for treating this particular disease, you may try removing the affected area from the lawn for an alternative treatment. Cut out the affected area with a sharp knife and replace it with healthy sod.
4. Pythium Blight Disease – This disease is caused by the fungus Pythium. It occurs during early summer or late spring and similar to the fairy ring disease, pythium blight is common on lawns with poor drainage and excess shade. Here are the symptoms that can help you identify this disease:
- Patches of grass turn brown and yellow or simply die out.
- Small brown patches with a water-logged appearance.
- A musty odor comes out from the affected area.
You’ll need to apply fungicide to treat pythium blight disease. However, it’s best to get help from professionals in this case so that the right chemicals can be mixed effectively to treat the disease without provoking fungicide resistance.
5. Powdery Mildew – Powdery mildew disease is caused by the fungi Erysiphe graminis. It usually affects lawns that are stressed by drought or poorly ventilated during the early summer or late spring season. To identify this disease, look out for:
- Discolored or stunted grass blades.
- Grayish-white powdery growth on grass leaves.
- Yellow or brown patches of grass.
To treat this disease, open your lawn to the air and allow as much sunlight as it can get. Aerate your lawn regularly to increase ventilation and trim back trees and bushes to allow in more sunlight for the grass. Make sure that you aren’t overwatering your lawn either.
6. Red Thread – Laetisariafuciformis is the fungi that causes the red thread lawn disease. During early summer or late spring, the disease may pop out on poorly fertilized or drought-stressed lawns. You can identify this disease with symptoms like:
- Reddish-brown patches of grass.
- Grass blades covered in small red threads.
- Stunted or thin grass blades in irregular patches.
To treat this disease, you’ll need to use high-nitrogen fertilizer in the right concentration on the lawn. If that doesn’t help, you’ll need to turn to fungicide.
7. Snow Mold – Snow mold is caused by a fungus known as Typhula. This disease usually affects wet and cold areas of the lawn during the late winter or early spring seasons. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms to identify this disease:
- Brown or blackish spots on grass blades.
- Patches of grass with a matted-down appearance.
- A musty odor from the patches.
To treat this disease, begin by removing soggy leaves and snow from the lawn. Next, mow down the area to speed up the drying process. That should help alleviate the symptoms within a few days. If that doesn’t work, you may need to apply a fungicide.
8. Rust Lawn – This disease is caused by Puccinia graminis during the late spring or early summer season. It’s very common on lawns that have been stressed by droughts or have poor ventilation. Identifying the disease is easy with the following symptoms:
- Yellow and brown patches of grass.
- Orange or reddish-brown pustules on grass blades.
- Discolored or stunted grass blades.
This disease can be avoided by fertilizing your lawn regularly. Make sure to choose a fertilizer that suits your climate and soil conditions.
Conclusion
From brown patches to fairy rings, lawn diseases come in all shapes and forms. Once you identify the disease, it’s important to use the right treatment. You don’t want to go overboard and kill the healthy grass. If you want professional help treating lawn diseases, you can search for “landscape companies near me”.