Should You Use Fungicide On Your Lawn? A Turfgrass Specialist Explains
12.09.2024 - 02:52
/ southernliving.com
/ Arricca Elin SanSone
As fall begins, many turfgrasses show signs of common diseases. “These fungi are always present, but disease occurs when the environmental conditions are ideal for its development,” says Clint Waltz, PhD, turfgrass specialist, Turfgrass and Education Center at the University of Georgia. “That means an extended period of humidity and temperatures in the 60s to 80s.”
One of the most prevalent diseases in warm season grasses such as centipede, zoysia, and St. Augustine is large patch (Rhizoctonia solani). Shorter days and cooling temperatures slow growth, which leaves the grass more susceptible to disease. Warm season grasses may not be able to recover before going into dormancy, which results in slower green-up next spring, says Waltz.
Cool season grasses such as tall fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass may be affected by brown patch, also caused by Rhizoctonia. While these grasses may be able to grow out of disease because their active growth period begins with cooler weather in the fall, fungicide treatment may be in order because cool season grasses can be killed by disease, says Waltz.
- Clint Waltz, PhD, is a turfgrass specialist at the Turfgrass and Education Center at the University of Georgia.
How To Tell If Your Lawn Has A Disease
“Not all pathogens will exhibit the same symptoms on all grass species,” says Waltz. It’s best to get a positive ID from your local university coop extension service (find yours here), but you’ll typically see symptoms such as:
- Circular brownish or yellowish patches of thinning grass, ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter
- Smaller circles may merge to make one big dead area
- Brown or grey lesions, or discolored spots, on the leaf blades
- Grass that pulls up easily by hand
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