Lawn Disease

Lawn Diseases

Lawn disease can quickly turn a beautifully manicured lawn into a spotty and discolored one, and because you can’t see anything obvious like a weed or an insect, it’s hard to diagnose.

The cause of most lawn diseases comes from an active fungal infestation, but there are other types to be concerned about, with some preventative measures you can take.

Common Signs of Lawn Disease

Lawn Diseases

With so many varieties of lawn disease out there, there are lots of signs and symptoms to be aware of assess your lawn regularly to look for potential signs of trouble, and take action if you spot any of these:

  • Circles or rings of dead or discolored grass
  • Strange color patches like yellow and white
  • Slimy or greasy looking spots on the grass
  • Spots on the grass leaves
  • Blades of grass that turn black or dark
  • Wilting grass and disfigured blades

 

The Different Types of Lawn Disease

Diseases in lawn

Being able to identify the many types of lawn disease can be challenging, but there are some more prevalent than others.

Keep these names in mind if you believe you’ve spotted a disease taking over your lawn.

  • Dollar spot: Spots in the size of silver dollars may appear on your lawn and yellow spots develop on the grass blades.
  • Leaf spot: You may notice long purple-brown spots on the leaves of your grass, and rot spreading onto the roots.
  • Pythium: Blackened blades of grass that start to wither. You might also notice a greasy texture on the grass and that the blades are sticking together.
  • Brown patch: Large patches of dead and sunken grass that sometimes spreads up to three feet wide. The grass blades will wilt and die and then leave a large perimeter of grayness on the lawn.
  • Gray leaf: Starts with smaller irregular gray patches that eventually join together and cause widespread damage. Spots on the grass leaves can lose color and have a bleached look.
  • Lawn Rust: Rust disease can be spotted with thinning and weak grass that appears to be dying. You may also see orange-red pustules on the grass that transfer to your gardening tools.
  • Rot Root: Rot root is like some of the above combined, yellow grass, rotting roots, big patches of grass suddenly falling ill. If you have these problems, you might have rot root.

How to Identify and Remove Lawn Diseases

fungicides

The best approach for treating lawn disease is to use a fungicide, as most of these conditions come from a fungal source.

However, if you’re not sure what category your lawn disease falls into, having an expert assess the grass is best.

A fungicide is used to treat fungal growth and lichen in the garden.

These treatments are applied to the top of fungal infections in the grass and they kill existing spores and reduce their spread and growth.

They achieve this by damaging the fungal cell membranes or preventing them from producing energy.

As with anything, preparation is the key to preventing lawn disease, and having a healthy lawn will be your best defense.

Fungal infections like this can grow with three main conditions: wet weather conditions, weak and susceptible grass, and disease pathogens, so if your lawn is kept hardy, especially during stressful seasons, there’s less chance it’ll be attacked.

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