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Treating Fungus In The Lawn

When To Apply Fungicides

Scotts Disease Ex | How to treat Fungus in the Lawn

Fungicides are most useful when applied right before times of stress. For cool season lawns this is without a doubt right before the heat of summer. Whenever we get those first really hot days, our cool season lawn instantly gets weakened. Again, think of your immune system. You are more likely to get sick if you are hot and dehydrated since your immune system is weakened.

Applying preventative fungicides right before these harsh conditions is a lot like feeding your body essential vitamins and nutrients right before an outbreak of seasonal cold or flu.

For warm season lawns theres really 2 times where your lawn is most stressed. The first time is heading into summer when rain and humidity ramp up. The second time is when soil temps start to decrease after the peak of summer, heading into fall. Apply preventative fungicide leading up to these 2 transitional times.

Is Lawn Fungus Treatment Effective

For the treatment to be effective, it is important that the person applying the treatment use the correct lawn fungus treatment. Contact fungicides do not penetrate the blades. Therefore, they must remain on the surface of the leaf blade for about 3-8 days to be effective. The primary purpose of contact fungicides is to form a barrier, which prevents fungus from entering the leaves, so it typically should be applied before the disease begins.

Systemic fungicides will enter the grass blade and go to the roots so, they work from the inside out. This type of fungicide is longer lasting than contact fungicides. This kind of treatment does require watering for the fungicide to reach the roots. One of the main disadvantages with systemics is the chance the disease will develop a resistance to the fungicide.

It is important to keep in mind that some fungicides can be dangerous to the environment. They can be especially dangerous if the user does not use it correctly. So, if you are not experienced with fungicides, it is a good idea to contact a local lawn care service. They will be able to evaluate the problem areas and apply the appropriate lawn fungus treatment.

For more information on lawn fungus or to schedule an appointment for one of our technicians to evaluate and apply lawn fungus treatment to your lawn, contact our team at Think Green Lawn Service by calling 648-2556.

Use A Natural Fungicide To Kill Fungus In Grass

You can also use natural fungicide instead of a commercial product. Natural treatments include:

  • Baking soda and water

Mix one tablespoon of baking soda and 5 litres of water. Spray the solution on your lawn every three days until the fungus dies.

Neem oil is also an effective fungicide. Mix four tablespoons of neem oil with 5 litres of water. Spray every few days until the problem is gone.

To use compost tea, use four cups of tea per gallon of water. Compost tea is made from tap water combined with a few cups of organic compost.

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How To Tell If Your Lawn Has A Fungal Disease

Your lawn is an ecosystem comprised of a vast multitude of organisms, including fungi. When everything is in balance, fungus will not grow. However, several factors may disrupt this equilibrium, causing fungi to overrun your lawn and consequently become a problem.

Various factors have been found to encourage fungal overgrowth on lawns. These include:

  • Improper mowing, particularly very low mowing
  • Planting grass strains that are susceptible to fungal diseases
  • Elevated temperature and humidity

The most obvious sign of lawn disease is a dead or dying segment on your lawn. However, not all dead and dying spots are attributable to fungus, so you should consider other possible causes as well.

Classical signs of fungus in a lawn include:

  • Brown, white or yellow rings or patches that seem to grow in diameter over time
  • Parts of the lawn that may appear darkened, slimy, wet or gray
  • Black, purple, grey, orange or red spots on the blades and/or stems of the lawn grass
  • Grass blades which may appear frayed, discolored and/or distorted

Lawn disease thrives when:

  • The grass species on the lawn are susceptible to the disease-causing fungus
  • The environmental conditions favor fungal growth and proliferation
  • The homeowner fails to take the appropriate countermeasures against the lawn fungus in good time

Early Signs Of Snow Mold Is The Appearance Of Straw

How to Treat Lawn Fungus

Snow mold is the kind of lawn fungus that is likely to go away as the snow melts and the cold weather gives way to the spring rain. However, as it does, it also leaves patches of your lawn to die.

In the coming spring to summer season, the brown patch is, by far, one of the most common of these lawn diseases that can bring peril to your lawn. They can very easily damage your turf before it can even arise for spring. The brown patch affects all types of grass. The damage from this lawn fungus type manifests as brown patches, as its name suggests. They appear as brown spots on individual blades of grass and rotted sheaths on the soil, too. If left untreated, this becomes widespread on the lawn and wont just appear as circular spots. They spread everywhere. You are likely to see completely bare spots where the fungus chooses to settle and do its damage.

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Plant Grass That Grows Well In Your Region

  • Grasses that are natural to your region are more resistant to diseases. Even though exotic grasses may look more appealing, they havent adapted to the fungi in your area. Talk to a landscaping specialist or someone at a gardening center and ask what types of grass grow the best and are most resilient where you live. If fungus has completely taken over your yard, completely reseed your lawn with the new grass for a healthier yard.XResearch source
  • Always seed grass in the late summer or early fall to help it establish better.XResearch source
  • Three Common Lawn Fungal Diseases

    Certain diseases strike specific lawn varieties and others thrive during certain times of year or weather conditions, for example brown patch usually strikes during hot and humid weather. Dollar spot tends to arrive when nights are cool and the dew is heavy, whereas during drought conditions in hot weather fusarium blight springs into action.

    Because not all fungicides are created equal, youll have to figure out exactly which pest youre dealing with. Dean is Wild Horse Turfs chief pest inspector and if youre not sure what youre dealing with, he can probably help, so take a photo of the problematic area and send it to us for identification.

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    Should We Worry About Fungal Pandemics

    Pretty much every major crop that humanity depends on is threatened by a fungal pathogen. Rice, wheat and maize represent the biggest and most important source of calories for the human population. If a fungal pandemic were to rip through the crop supply well, it might not be as frightening as the bitey, mind controlled “zombies” of The Last of Us, but it could be devastating in a different way.

    What’s concerning researchers today is the rise of fungi which are resistant to antifungal drugs. According to a paper published in the journal Science in 2018, crop-destroying fungi accounts for about one fifth of perennial yield losses. They write that “o avoid a global collapse in our ability to control fungal infections,” we need to promote the discovery of new antifungal drugs and ensure our current use of pesticides and chemicals don’t give rise to more worrisome strains.

    Another consideration? A dual pandemic — one that lowers the immunity of humans to such a point that pathogenic fungi can take hold.

    Consider COVID-19. During the height of the pandemic, patients with COVID-19 were sometimes presenting with fungal diseases. Researchers investigated cases of “mucormycosis,” which is caused by black fungus, in 18 countries in 2022, writing that it’s an understudied and poorly understood complication of severe COVID-19. It seemed to affect males more than females and was predisposed to those with diabetes, an underlying condition that can affect immunity.

    Large Patches Thrive Best In Warm And Humid Environments Making Warm Season Grasses Susceptible To Its Harm

    BEST Lawn FUNGUS TREATMENT – [FUNGICIDE GETS RID of BROWN PATCHES on Lawn]

    The brown patch attacks the roots of the grass. The early symptoms are yellow circular patches on your lawn. A circular new growth may appear at the center of the circle. You will notice your grass blades eventually turn brown and if you look closely, you will see small circular brown spots on the blades. You will also see that you can easily pull out your grass from the ground as the fungus causes the plant stems to rot. In effect, the stems may be slimy or dark at the base because of the rot from the patch.

    With these two and all the rest of the lawn fungus that can potentially take over your lawn early in the start of the year, you will do well to know how to prevent them and cure any signs that may make room for them. The best way to identify lawn fungus in your lawn is by its symptoms. You already know that snow molds appear as straw- colored patches, while brown patches appear as yellow circular patches on your lawn at their earliest state. What you can do is make sure the fungus does not spread all over your lawn.

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    Abc Can Care For Your Lawn

    Still feeling overwhelmed? Theres no reason why you have to deal with lawn problems alone. Reach out to ABC and well have our lawn experts come out to determine what the issue is and how best to handle it. We can also provide you with seasonal fertilization treatments to keep your yard nourished and healthy.

    Your Ultimate Guide To Lawn Fungus And How To Get Rid Of It

    If youve been trying to get a beautiful green lawn but its looking brown and patchy, you could be dealing with lawn fungus.

    While fungal spores are present in every lawn, and they can even benefit your lawn when they start to multiply and spread they can become a real problem for your lawn.

    Wont lawn fungus go away on its own? Although it would be great for your lawn fungus to disappear on its own, unfortunately, it wont you will have to treat it with effective removal methods.

    If youre not sure how to do this, dont worry. Heres your ultimate guide to lawn fungus and how to get rid of it once and for all.

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    How To Identify Lawn Fungus Diseases

    Its not always easy to tell whether or not your lawn has a fungal disease or if theres some other issue. However, most fungal diseases have tell-tale signs that will tell you whats going on.

    Some signs that your grass may be dealing with a fungal disease are:

    • Patches of grass that are white, yellow, brown, or slightly gray in color that are growing in diameter. Or, patches of frayed, mangled, or dried out grass blades.
    • Possible diseases: Brown patch disease, summer patch disease, rust lawn disease.
  • Grass stems that have spots. Typical colors: black, red, orange, purple, gray.
  • Possible diseases: Leaf spot, dollar spot, gray leaf spot.
  • Darkened, damp, or slimy grass that doesnt coincide with rain or watering.
  • Possible diseases: pythium lawn disease, snow mold.
  • Powdery coatings on and around grass blades, often close to the thatch. This is a clear sign that youre dealing with a fungal infection likely red thread lawn disease.
  • There are other fungal diseases that we havent listed that may be a little less common. Consult a lawn care professional for a diagnosis!

    Why Do I Have Fungus In My Grass

    Bayer Advanced Fungus Control for Lawns

    Overwatering is a common cause of fungal infestation of the grass.

    Despite being portrayed as horrible villains of the turf environments, not all fungi are bad. In fact, they are very active soil organisms that decompose organic matter and return nutrients to the soil. Fungi and fungi spores are present naturally in the grass some are pretty harmless, while others can make a mess of your grass.

    However, it is usually not fungi but the wrong conditions that allow a lawn fungus to turn into a stuff of nightmares for lawn owners and gardeners. Lawn fungus usually attacks grass in times of distress, for instance, during rainy seasons, overwatering or even drought.

    Nonetheless, for your ease, here is a list describing the most common causes of fungal diseases in the grass:

    • Soil compaction
    • Improper mowing

    We will discuss the below-mentioned causes more in the portion ahead where we discuss individual fungal diseases of the grass.

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    Home Remedies For Lawn Disease Treatment

    Below are some home remedies for fungus control. These methods are meant to be used on smaller areas of infected turf or as preventive measures. Unfortunately, chemical fungicides may be necessary if your lawn is severely affected by fungus.

    Compost Tea

    Compost tea is a liquid version of compost made from water and microbial matter. The liquid is brewed in a machine to multiply beneficial bacteria and create a nutritious turfgrass treatment.

    Compost tea is best used as a preventive turf treatment because it adds good fungi to the soil to aid in nutrient uptake, keeping your lawn healthy and strong. The beneficial bacteria also build soil structure to help reduce compaction that can lead to fungal infection.

    Neem Oil

    If youd prefer to go the all-natural route and avoid spraying chemicals on your lawn, you can buy a neem oil spray to fight fungus on your turf.

    Neem oil is a naturally occurring insecticide and fungicide found in neem tree seeds. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, neem oil and its components are used in over 100 pesticide products.

    Neem oil works by preventing fungal spores from penetrating plant tissue. While the oil wont cure already infected grass, it does help contain the spread of disease.

    Baking Soda Solution

    You can apply a baking soda solution to your turf to treat small areas of lawn fungus. To use this treatment effectively, youll need to mix sodium bicarbonate with water.

    Treat Small Spots With A Baking Soda Solution

  • Baking soda, oil, and water could clear up brown patches. Combine 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, and 1 gallon of water, and thoroughly mix them together. Load the solution into a garden sprayer and apply it directly to the patch in your lawn.XResearch source Reapply the baking soda every 3 days until the fungus disappears completely.XResearch source
  • Avoid using too much baking soda since it could increase the pH of your lawn.
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    How To Treat Lawn Fungus Naturally In The South

    If you’re a homeowner in the South, you may be dealing with lawn fungus this season. Fungus can be a major problem for your lawn, and it can be difficult to get rid of it naturally. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for treating lawn fungus naturally. We will also provide information on which products work best for combating fungus in the South.

    Common Causes Of Fungus In Grass

    Lawn Fungus Control | Best Cure for Lawn Fungal Disease

    Fungal diseases and fungal growth typically occur in excessively moist conditions. Your lawn may become saturated with water due to a variety of reasons, such as:

    • Improper mowing
    • Excess fertiliser

    Addressing these causes helps reduce the risk of fungal growth and protect against brown patches on lawns.

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    Continue To Monitor For Fungal Diseases

    After treating the problem, continue to monitor your turf for signs of fungal infections. Some fungal diseases are seasonal and may return the following year, requiring you to repeat the treatment. In the meantime, maintain correct mowing techniques.

    If possible, collect grass clippings as you mow. Collecting clippings minimises the spread of fungal diseases, as most types of fungi are easily distributed throughout a lawn. Avoiding excess foot traffic also cuts down on the spread of fungal diseases.

    The Most Common Way It Can Spread Is Through Your Very Own Footsteps And Lawn Maintenance Habits

    Your footsteps and lawnmowers can easily be vehicles in which the lawn fungus can spread across your yard. So you see, it is not such a bad idea to avoid stepping on your lawn even in winter. When you mow, be sure to remove all grass clippings afterwards.

    Choosing the right fungicide is also a must. It an be tough, so if you dont have a selected brand in your shelf, it is best to approach a lawn care expert to weigh the pros and cons for you. After all, you need to have the right fungicide or treatment that addresses the specific lawn fungus problems you have in your yard.

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    Contact A Lawn Care Professional Today

    If youre concerned that your lawn is dealing with a fungal disease, the problem might be worse than you can see. You may have a lawn that is particularly susceptible to fungal disease due to geography, weather conditions, or lack of necessary lawn maintenance.

    Contact Absolute Lawn Pros at and ask us about potential fungal infections and lawn treatment!

    Plant The Proper Grass For Your Location

    BAYER ADVANCED Lawn Fungus Control 10

    We are well aware of the available exotic grass options that can make your lawn look fantastic.

    Unfortunately, many of those seeds are not compatible with a lot of locations, making them more susceptible to disease.

    When laying down the grass, speak with a professional before making any final decisions and choose an option that is going to have the best chance of thriving in your environment and climate.

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