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Turf Disease
"Comprehensive Guide to Lawn Diseases: From Brown Patch to Dollar Spot and Beyond!"
"Is your lawn looking patchy, discolored, or not quite right? Lawn disease could be the reason. Various factors, including weather conditions like temperature, humidity, and rainfall, as well as improper care practices such as watering and mowing, can trigger lawn disease. Symptoms can vary significantly depending on the type of disease. Since many lawn diseases share similar traits, our team at Weed Man has put together a guide with images and practical tips to help you identify the problem affecting your lawn.
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Brown Patch
Description:
Brown patch appears on lawns as circular brown spots, ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter. During early morning dew, you may notice cobweb-like fungal strands, known as mycelium, on the grass blades. The affected grass becomes discolored and, in severe cases, can die.
Causes:
Lawn disease, insufficient sunlight, or insect infestation
Dollar Spot
Description:
Large, tan-colored lesions develop on grass blades after fungus infects them when wet. These infected blades create small, round patches about the size of a silver dollar. If the disease progresses, the patches can spread and potentially harm the entire lawn.
Causes:
Caused by a fungus that thrives in temperatures ranging from 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it flourishes during warm days, cool nights, and in the presence of morning dew
Fairy Ring
Description:
Fairy ring initially appears as a circle of dark green, lush, fast-growing grass, often bordered by a brown, dead ring. These rings or crescents typically range from 3 to 49 inches in diameter. The fungus can cause various symptoms, including stunted or dead grass in circular patterns, a darker green zone along the outer edge, increased grass and weed growth in the center, mushrooms growing on the ring, and a whitish fungus visible on the soil surface.
Causes:
The disease spreads across the lawn through spores, which are carried by wind, air, water, and human activity.
Fusarium Patch
Description:
A turfgrass disease that creates small reddish-brown spots, typically 1-2 centimeters in diameter.
Causes:
This condition is caused by a fungus that targets fine turf and primarily affects cool-season grasses. After prolonged periods of cool, wet weather, new patches may begin to spread.
Powdery Mildew
Description:
“In the early stages, the disease presents as isolated clusters of whitish fungal structures known as mycelia. These mycelia spread and infect a significant area of the leaf blade, often appearing as a whitish-gray dusty powder. Heavily infected leaves may yellow and eventually turn brown before dying. As the colonies of powdery mildew mature, they can darken and sometimes develop dark, fruiting bodies. Infected plants become weakened, making them more vulnerable to additional stresses.”
Causes:
“This disease is caused by parasitic fungi that thrive in the soil, thatch, and decomposing leaves throughout the year, drawing nutrients from the grass. The disease is favored by conditions of low light intensity and poor air circulation, making heavily shaded areas especially vulnerable.”
Red Thread
Description:
“Under optimal conditions, the fungi manifest as small red filaments that can be observed protruding from the affected leaves.”
Causes:
“Red thread affects various grass types but is commonly found in lawns with a high percentage of Fescue species. Factors that promote the spread of red thread include inadequate air circulation, poor drainage, and a thatch layer thicker than half an inch.”
Rust Disease
Description:
“Rust typically presents as yellow-orange flecks on the leaves and tips of grass plants. The spores quickly grow into round pustules that eventually burst, releasing a powdery spore mass.”
Causes:
“This disease typically manifests on lawns during late summer and fall, particularly under conditions of low light intensity and temperatures ranging from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit combined with high humidity. Additionally, fluctuating weather patterns that transition from cool, wet conditions to hot, dry spells can create an environment conducive to the disease.”
Yellow Patct
Description:
“Yellow patch leads to the development of patches in the turf that are yellow, light brown, or reddish-brown, ranging from 5 inches to several feet in diameter. While the damage is typically superficial, prolonged periods of wet weather in late winter and early spring can result in thinning of the grass.”
Causes:
“Fungi residing in the soil, thatch, and decomposing leaves feed on grass by extracting nutrients from the plants and damaging their cells. Yellow patch disperses through spores carried by wind, air, water, and human activity. The disease can re-emerge annually if conditions remain favorable. Generally, areas that have experienced disease issues in the past are likely to face similar problems again.”