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Treating Red Thread Lawn Fungus

Fixing Lawn Care Disease: Red Thread

Red Thread Problems & Treatment | Greensleeves Lawn Treatment Experts

As we move through June, we all are getting outside to enjoy our lawn and landscaping for those Fathers Day picnics and graduation parties. For the most part, area lawns are coming along nicely and have rebounded from the cold start to the season. However, Cleveland and Columbus residents are now noticing patches of tannish-red areas in their lawns. In todays blog, well take a look at the lawn disease Red Thread, explaining what causes this fungus, how you can spot it, and what you can do to treat it.

What is Red Thread and What Causes It?

During June, we often see the return of warm days followed by cool evenings in both Cleveland and Columbus that can cause the right conditions for red thread to invade your lawn. The warm days and the cool nights with moisture can cause favorable conditions for fungi to grow throughout your lawn. Red thread often appears in lawns that are affected by drought stress, making it vulnerable to disease.

How Can I Spot Red Thread?

Red thread fungus appears as circular patches, from a few inches to 2 feet in diameter in your lawn. From a distance, these patches may have a tannish-red appearance due to the red color of the fungus growing. When inspecting the grass blades up close, affected areas will be bleached or yellow.

What Can It Do to My Lawn?

How Can I Get Rid of Red Thread?

Red Thread Often Indicates a Deeper Issue

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How Do I Get Rid Of Red Thread

The short answer to this question is apply a nitrogen rich fertilizer or a special lawn fungicide as soon as you see red thread appearing in your lawn.

Lets look at why applying a fertilizer will help your lawn recover from this fungal infection.

This is key for two reasons.

  • Red thread is usually a sign of an under-fed, nutrient hungry lawn. Applying a fertilizer will replenish the lawn with what the grass needs to prevent the spread of the problem.
  • Red thread doesnt kill the grass roots, meaning that the plant will be able to replace the damaged grass blades with lush green grass shoots. The nitrogen will stimulate this new growth quickly.
  • Its also possible to apply a lawn fungicide to kill the fungus that is causing the damage to the grass. Gardeners from the U.S. could use a fungicide such as BioAdvanced Fungus Control for Lawns.

    Gardeners from the U.K. could use a fungicide like Provanto Lawn Disease Control.

    Both of these products should protect your lawn for up to 4 weeks. Although they can be applied at any point in the year, we would recommend that you only apply these fungicides when the weather is at its most humid during the summer months. This is the period of the year when your lawn is most susceptible to red thread.

    As always, closely follow the manufacturers instructions on the packet.

    Therefore, ensure that you apply a fungicide no more than once every 2 years.

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    What Do Lawn Diseases Look Like

    If you have patches like this in your lawn, where a roughly circular brown area is surrounded by very dark green grass, its likely to be caused by pet urine rather than lawn diseases.More about pet urine here.

    Redthread is a common lawn disease that tends to occur from mid to late summer. Uneven shaped patches of lawn take on a pinkish brown appearance and when you look closely youll see tiny pink strands of fungal mycellium.

    Fusarium patch disease is characterised by circular patches of brown grass splattered with a slimy white fungus. Its most active during a mild autumn or a warm wet spring.

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    How Long Does It Take To Go Away

    Within a few weeks, you should notice the effects of red thread begin to lessen, i.e less visibility of red needles, and the patches should start to green up again. Of course, this is dependent on the type of fertiliser you choose and how fast it works. If you want the quickest solution make sure to invest in a quick release fertiliser.

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    What Is Red Thread Fungus

    Learn How to Identify and Treat Red Thread on Your Lawn

    Red thread turf fungus can appear in two different forms in your lawn, and both affect the blades of each piece of grass. The first form, sclerotia, displays itself as a branch-like growth that often looks like antlers growing from each blade. The second form, mycelium, grows as pinkish fuzz. Both forms usually appear anytime between late April to mid-June, depending on the nighttime temperatures. During this period when lawns grow fast and aggressively, nitrogen is stripped from the soil, thus promoting fungal growth.

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    Will Red Thread Go Away

    If your lawn is suffering from red thread, dont despair as your lawn will recover from this even without applying fertilizers or fungicides.

    Red thread will not kill the grass roots which means that the roots will produce new green growth. The brown and pink grass will eventually rot down or be removed by a lawnmower.

    Its likely that turf with a small outbreak of red thread will recover within a few weeks. Larger outbreaks probably wont recover for a few months or until the beginning of the next growing season.

    Laetisaria fuciformis will always be present in the majority of lawns so the best course of action is to prevent it from infecting your grass by removing the conditions that allow it to take hold.

    How To Keep Red Thread Under Control

    Red thread is a fungal infection caused by the fungus, laetisaria fuciformis. This disease will cause irregularly shaped patches of tan or red throughout your lawn. But it really only comes down to doing one thing, to ensure you never have to worry about it.

    The truth is, almost any lawn is susceptible to this turf fungus. However, it is not uncommon for some lawns to have more issues than neighboring properties. This is because of different soil conditions, maintenance, and water patterns.

    So, lets take a look at what causes red thread, the negative effects and point out the best way to control it.

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    What Can You Do Now About Red Thread

    To help protect your lawn from Red Thread we recommend the following.

  • Don’t water more than every 3-4 days, only in the morning or early afternoon.
  • Clean your mower between mowing, and bag clippings if Pink Patch is severe.
  • Feed your lawn organically, so you dont kill the organisms that fight disease-causing fungi.
  • Add resistant grasses to your lawn. Slice Seeding can help with this process.
  • Minimize your Thatch with Liquid Aeration in the Spring and Core Aeration in the Fall.
  • Add beneficial biology with Organic Compost Topdressing in the Fall.
  • Use A Natural Fungicide To Kill Fungus In Grass

    Red Thread Fungus – What you need to know!

    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 Harmful Is It To Your Lawn

    The good news is that red thread wont kill your grass. The disease specifically attacks the leaves and stems of the grass plant. It will not harm the crown or root of the grass, but the areas that are infected will cause your turf to appear wilted.

    Its also not aesthetically pleasing and can make your lawn vulnerable to diseases.

    When Should I Apply Fungicide To My Lawn

    Preventatively, fungicides should be applied to turfgrass fescue in the late spring or early summer. Frequently brown patch becomes obvious around the first week of May in the Upstate. Warm season turfgrasses require fungicide treatments in the spring, but especially in the fall for best disease control. You may also read, How do you treat respiratory arrest?

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    What Does Red Thread Lawn Disease Look Like

    While this disease is defined by tiny, needle-like threads, it doesnât mean itâs not visible from afar. A large amount of red fungus in grass means you can often see this from far away. As you get closer, you will see tiny red threads that protrude from individual blades of grass, mainly near the tip.

    The presence of these red threads means that the fungus has been there for some time, as this is the final stage of the fungal activity. Soon, the threads break off from the grass and then create spores that allow the fungus to reinfect the grass or blow onto another patch of grass.

    The second stage of this disease, if the grass has been exposed to high moisture levels, looks more like pink cotton wool that sits in between individual blades of grass.

    What Can I Do To Prevent It And How Can I Cure It

    How to fight red thread lawn disease: Ask an expert

    In this case, the prevention and the cure are almost the same. Lawns that arent fed lack nitrogen, and this lack of nitrogen encourages the fungus to take over. Feed your lawn a nitrogen rich fertiliser to cure your red thread problem and to prevent it. We recommend our QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer once watered in, this granular feed will set to work on your lawn making it green once again, and red thread free!

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    How Can I Tell If My Lawn Has Red Thread

    You should take a piece from your lawn and examine it closely. Two of the easiest ways to do this is by placing it onto a white piece of paper, or by using a magnifying glass.

    If your lawn has Red Thread, you will see pink-to-red colour threads wrapped around the brown grass leaves. .

    You will most likely see the disease in patches in various sizes across your lawn. As the disease develops over time, the patches may increase in size and eventually join together.

    Depending on how badly the disease has established in your lawn, you may eventually see very bright red, easy to see patches of severe infestation.

    Red Thread Signs And Symptoms

    Red thread creates small patches of reddish tinted grass that from a distance may make the grass appear dead. These patches are often confused with dollar spots and other lawn diseases. But upon close inspection it is easy to see the red, thread like material that seems to grow out of the top of grass while the blades themselves remain intact.

    Mycelium, a pink fluffy material, can be sometimes be found on the bottom of the infected grass blades.

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    Why Is My Lawn Turning Red

    Patches of red lawn, commonly known as red thread, are caused by the fungus Laetisaria fuciformis which attacks the green part of the grass, making it turn red and eventually die. The fungus is present in most lawns throughout the year, but it is usually active in the months towards the end of the summer and beginning of autumn, when the weather is warm and wet.

    You will easily be able to identify if your lawn is suffering from red thread, dead brown patches will appear across your lawn either in dense clumps or as larger areas.On closer inspection, you should be able to see visible fungal growth which appears as pink or red thread-like growth on the leaves, that may be binding them together.

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    Why Is There Moss Growing In My Lawn

    How To Fix Red Thread Disease On Your Lawn

    There are many potential causes, including excessive shade, compacted soils, poorly drained soils, low soil fertility, high or low soil pH, and poor air circulation. Poor lawn care practices are another source of moss problems. â¦Too much shade for acceptable grass growth is a common underlying cause for moss invasion.

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    What Causes Dollar Spot

    Dollar spot fungus occurs in high humidity, especially if there is a restricted airflow to the grass.

    The fungus itself, schlerotinia homeocarpa, comes from the earth and is most prevalent from early spring right through to the backend of fall when daytime temperatures reach between 59-86°F , and the nights are cool.

    The reason the temperature range for infection is so wide is that different biotypes of dollar spot are more notorious at different temperatures.

    Turfs with a moist canopy and dry soil are the most susceptible to infection. Low nitrogen fertility in the earth is another reason your lawn might develop a dollar spot problem.

    Dollar spot can be exacerbated greatly if areas of your lawn are covered, preventing sunlight and air from drying the buildups of dew on the blades. This excess moisture combined with the ambient humidity provides the perfect catalyst for fungal growth.

    Not all grass types are equally at risk from dollar spot. Those particularly susceptible include bents, fine fescues, and annual meadow grass. If you have any of these grasses on your land, you should keep a close eye on them during the humid months.

    The good news is that dollar spot doesnt have its own reproductive process or autonomy. This means that it cant spread on its own.

    It requires mechanical help, by which we mean it must be physically moved from place to place through the dissemination of already infected plant matter.

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    How To Get Rid Of Red Thread Permanently

    The best way of permanently getting rid of red thread is to eliminate the conditions that allowed it to develop in the first place. Maintain your lawn well fed all year round, using the right formulation for each season. The So& Mo Performance Liquid Lawn Feed delivers a 12 month plan that takes into consideration periods of growth to ensure your lawn gets the right treatment through the year.

    It is also highly important that you maintain good soil condition. Aim to aerate and scarify your lawn at least once a year. By removing thatch, youll allow more air and nutrients to penetrate the soil effectively. You can learn more about aerating, scarifying, and other methods of caring for your lawn by browsing our other blog posts.

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    Conditions That Favour Red Thread Disease

    Red Thread Disease in lawns can be encouraged by several conditions, but the most significant factor is foliar wetness. This can come from heavy dews, light rains or fog, and is most likely to occur if the lawn is exposed to more than 10 hours of foliar wetness each day for several consecutive days.

    Red Thread Disease thrives in temperatures between 17°C and 29°C. It can also be severe in poorly nourished lawns, where potassium, phosphorus, calcium and nitrogen are deficient. Inadequate fertility causes the grass growth to slow down, allowing the disease to take hold, and spread. High-stress conditions, such as drought and extreme temperatures, can also be triggers for Red Thread infections.

    How Do You Get Rid Of Red Thread Lawn Disease

    Cheap lawn fungicide for red thread in 2022

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    . Consequently, how do you get rid of red thread?

    The basic treatment for red thread is to fertilize the lawn with the proper amount of nitrogen as part of an ongoing feeding program. Nitrogen applied to the lawn in the fall will nourish the re-emerging turf in the spring, but much of that nitrogen will be gone by late spring.

    Likewise, how do you treat red thread lawn disease? Treatment. Feeding the lawn with a nitrogen based fertilizer will help the grass recover and help prevent future attacks. Red Thread can be treated using a fungicide that contains benomyl or carbendazim.

    Also question is, will red thread go away?

    Red thread will often go away on its own if the conditions dry out and it stays warm. However, this can take a while and if you do not keep a close on eye on your lawn, other diseases can infect your grass.

    Why does my lawn get red thread?

    Red thread is a common cause of patches of dead grass on lawns during wet summers and in autumn. It is caused by the fungus Laetisaria fuciformis. Red thread will rarely kill the grass completely, and the patches will recover with appropriate remedial action.

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    Proper Lawn Care Is The Best Defense Against Red Thread

    Since the conditions that can encourage red thread can come about throughout the growing season, prioritizing preventive measures can help you keep it at bay.

    Youll be surprised at how some lawn TLC can really amplify your lawns appearance and elevate its health and ability to fight weeds and diseases. Here are a few basic things you should keep on your to-do list to minimize the need for red thread lawn disease treatment:

    • Correct watering. Early morning watering ensures your lawn dries out sufficiently before nightfall, preventing those cool, wet conditions red thread likes.
    • Keep air flowing.Annual fall aeration helps increase airflow and reduce humidity that causes lawn disease. Adding overseeding to this service helps thicken your lawn and fill in bare spots.
    • Fertilize properly.Fertilizing with the right doses of nutrients throughout the year ensures your lawn is strong enough to fight diseases like red thread. You dont want to neglect fertilization because a lack of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, can encourage red thread growth.
    • Maintain precise mowing. You dont want to over-mow a lawn because it stresses it out. A thick lawn 3.5 to 4 inches in height is the best for fighting weeds and disease. Mow weekly during the growing season to ensure youre never cutting more than one-third of the grass blades at any one time.

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