Learn how to deal with grass fungus on your lawn.
Successful lawn care is a matter of combining the right practices with the right materials and resources for the grass in your region. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, lawns still become susceptible to fungal diseases and other issues. Your lawn is naturally full of fungi and spores, but while most are harmless, others can cause issues with the right blend of circumstances. Follow this guide for the best way to deal with grass fungus on your lawn.
Identify Causes
The most common causes of grass fungus include drought, over watering, planting the wrong type of grass for your yard, and compacted soil. If you mow improperly, particularly too low, you can expose your lawn to fungal diseases. Using too much fertilizer, or the wrong kind, can also cause grass fungus as well as the natural weather conditions in your region.
Types of Grass Fungus
Before you can deal with grass fungus on your lawn, it’s important to know if that’s the true issues you’re dealing with in the first place. Do you see patches of white, yellow, or brown? Are there rings that grow in diameter? If you see thin patches of discolored or frayed blades of grass, then you’re likely dealing with grass fungus. In addition, you should also be on the lookout for gray, black, red, orange, or purple grass, or grass that looks darkened, wet, slimy, or greasy.
- Brown patch fungus is usually a problem in the summer, during hot and humid weather.
- Fusarium blight thrives in hot, drought conditions.
- Dollar spot grass fungus prefers conditions that are cool with heavy dew.
Grass Fungus Prevention
Diagnose your grass by conducting a soil test that will identify nutrient deficiencies. Aerate the soil on an annual basis to loosen it up and remove any thick buildup of thatch in your lawn. These two practices will allow more oxygen to the soil. Rake in a layer of organic top-dressing to increase drainage and help combat disease. Be careful not to mow your grass too low on a consistent basis and use organic grass treatments instead of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Choose Edwards Lawn & Home
For the past ten years, Edwards Lawn and Home, located in Linthicum Heights, MD has been offering premier residential and services to improve your property all year long. The options are endless from a new patio to a backyard fire pit, let the winners of Angie’s List Super Service Award serve you! If you’re interested in finding out more about our services or getting a quote, you can contact us online or give us a call at 443-341-6539. For more information about our services or DIY tips and tricks follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Houzz.