3 Common Summer Lawn Diseases

Lawn Diseases and Fungus

Different lawn diseases and fungi attack different types of lawns and it’s important to not only take care of your grass to prevent them, but to also keep an eye out for any signs of lawn diseases. The sooner you begin treatment, the better.

Lawn diseases each have their “seasons,” but because of the heat and humidity, summer is prime time for many lawn diseases. Diseases begin to develop earlier than summertime but the signs start to show as the temperatures warm up.

Common signs of lawn diseases:

• Spots
• Patches
• Stunted growth
• Smaller areas of dead grass

It’s important to note that damage in your lawn does not always mean it’s one of these lawn diseases. Make sure you have a professional take a look at your lawn to properly diagnose it and don’t begin treatment on your own without knowing for sure. You could do more damage to your grass if treating improperly.

3 Most Common Lawn Diseases

Here are the 3 lawn diseases we see most often this time of year:

1. Dollar Spot: Dollar spot is a very common lawn disease of bermuda grass in the Southeast. Caused by a fungus that lives in the soil, it appears as small white or straw-colored circles about the size of a silver dollar. Unfortunately, if untreated, these spots will eventually grow together, leaving large patches of dead-looking grass in your lawn. Dollar spot can be treated with additional nitrogen and often does not need a fungicide.

2. Brown Patch: Brown patch lawn disease is one of the most destructive of all lawn diseases and once started, spreads fast. The damage first appears as circular areas of brown and dead grass surrounded by a narrow, dark ring. We offer preventative fungicides for fescue lawns to prevent brown patch. If you have fescue, we highly recommend this.

3. Zoysia Patch: Zoysia patch is a soil-borne disease that happens in spring and fall. It begins as small circles of 6 inches across and can grow as large as twenty feet. The center of the ring is filled with brown, damaged grass while the circumference has a distinctive orange hue. This patch will not go away without proper fungicide treatment. The good news is there are preventative fungicides you can apply to prevent this disease and we can help with this!

We can treat existing issues or help prevent them through our fungicide services. Give us a call if you are concerned and we will happily come take a look. If you are a current Turf Masters customer, you have free service calls included in your service. If you are not a current customer, we would be happy to talk to you more about your lawn and what it needs to be healthy and green!