Is a Lawn Disease Causing Your Grass Problems?

Homeowners who install a lawn usually want a lush, green, healthy outdoor feature. But if your lawn struggles, ending up with bare spots, yellowing or brown leaves, thatch, or discoloration, you may wonder if you can ever have that beautiful lawn. The good news is that today’s lawn owners have a wide array of solutions to fix an array of potential grass problems.

Consider one of the most common lawn problems: fungal disease. How can you learn if you have a lawn disease? And what can you do to restore your lawn to its original state? Discover what you need to know.

What Is Lawn Disease?
Generally, when people talk about lawn diseases, they actually mean fungal diseases. These diseases stem from fungi in the environment, but they are often exacerbated by conditions within the lawn itself. Treatment of fungal diseases may incorporate things like fungicides as well as altering the conditions that allow the fungus to thrive. 

What Are the Common Diseases?
The first step in treating any fungal lawn disease is to identify it. This can be tricky for many lawn owners, as signs of disease may look similar to other problems like drainage issues or mold. In addition, a number of different fungi cause different lawn diseases. Only by identifying the specific fungus — from its effects — can the right treatment happen. 

What might you encounter? Discover some of the most common diseases that New Jersey residents often face:

• Brown patch. This infection often begins as a few brown spots that people may mistake for irrigation or sun issues. This makes it hard to identify until the disease is widespread.
• Summer patch. Another patch disease, summer patch is extremely difficult to treat once it takes hold. It becomes most visible when the grass becomes stressed by heat.
• Powdery mildew. One of the diseases easiest to recognize, powdery mildew leaves a white or gray powder on leaves. It tends to appear in warm, wet weather.
• Dollar spot. Starting out as small round spots, dollar spot disease spreads into yellow patches with what appear to be cobwebs in them.

Many of these fungal diseases and others may be more common in certain regions than others, but they can appear anywhere under the right conditions. And because they may be hard to spot, lawn owners should be on alert for any changes in their grass color, texture, and growth. 

What Can You Do About Diseases?
The best way to treat lawn disease is to prevent it. While you may not be able to completely remove fungi from your environment, you can hinder its growth in your yard. Many fungus issues start with such things as too much or too little water, too much or too little sunlight, soil conditions, or the amount and type of fertilizer. By changing these factors, you may be able to discourage fungus from taking root. 

Once you do have a lawn disease, the treatment will depend on the type. For instance, rust disease may be treated with a fungicide containing propiconazole, while pink snow mold is often treated with a thiophanate-methyl fungicide. Some diseases may respond to a wide range of fungicides, while others need targeted treatment. Others, such as snow molds, simply require time for the problem to fade naturally.

Where Should You Start?
Do you suspect you have a lawn disease? Have you tried home remedies but can’t quite solve your lawn blight issues? If so, the best place to turn is Dirt & Turf. We specialize in lawn care and management. Our experienced team will analyze the symptoms appearing in your grass and help you find the best way to treat the root case — whether it’s a fungal disease or something else. Call today to learn more.