The fungus can cause brownish, dead areas within your lawn. But before you apply lawn fungus control steps, you should identify the reason behind the problem. Then you can take appropriate measures to save your lawn.
Diseases can attack your grass and cause damage that’s hard to control. Fungus leads to grass discoloration, slow growth, and can kill the grass. Also, it can be difficult to control unless you know what type of fungus is attacking your lawn.
Many common grass diseases have fungal problems at their source. Fortunately, proper lawn maintenance can prevent and resolve most of these issues.
Factors that Support Fungus Growth
There are varying factors that can cause lawn distress. This may include:
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Weather Conditions
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Weather can greatly vary during seasons. First, make sure you have the right grass for your area. Second, you cannot change the weather. But you can provide optimal levels of water to prevent fungus growth.
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Proper Nutrition for Lawn Fungus Control
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Different types of grass have varying nutritional needs. You can pinpoint these needs through a soil pH test. This way, you can better carry out lawn fungus control activities.
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Stressed Grass
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Grass, like other plants, have conditions that help them thrive. The following factors heavily impact grass stress levels:
- Optimal Temperature – Certain types of grass thrive in direct sunlight, whereas others prefer shade. So, determine what type of grass you have. Then you can find out its ideal temperature range with ease.
- Water – Underwatering and overwatering are bad for your grass. You can’t do much about excessive rainfall. But you can supplement your lawn’s water needs. So, learn how to properly water your grass to keep it healthy
- Proper Nutrition – Grass has preferred soil conditions and varying nutritional needs. A soil test is the key to understanding the current condition of your soil. Also, keep in mind that soil and nutritional levels change in different areas of your lawn
Most Common Lawn Diseases
Learn about the type of grass you have and the diseases it is prone to catch. You can identify the following common fungal lawn and grass diseases with this knowledge:
- Brown patch lawn disease
- Dollar spot lawn disease
- Gray leaf spot lawn disease
- Leaf spot lawn disease
- Pythium lawn disease
- Red thread lawn disease
- Rust lawn disease
- Snow mold lawn disease
- Summer patch lawn disease
Be sure to view pictures of the infected lawns, so you can catch your issues early.
Lawn Fungus Control
Now you must know your grass type and the diseases affecting it. Thus, you can find fungicides suitable to remedy the problem. When applying the product, make sure you follow manufacturer instructions.
Here is a brief guide to help you with the step-by-step process:
1. Keep soil pH at an optimum level as per the requirements of grass in your lawn.
2. Properly fertilize the soil.
3. Water the lawn for health, strength, and resilience.
Irrigate the lawn early in the morning when evaporation rates are low. The rising sun speeds up drying. Also, it reduces the amount of time grass remains wet.
Don’t water the grass frequently. Instead, water it deeply once or twice a week to encourage strong and drought-tolerant roots. Irrigation equal to 1 inch of precipitation soaks soil to a 4- to 6-inch depth. So, this is perfect for healthy grass. Also, don’t set the irrigation system on automatic. Rather, adjust it to accommodate rainfall or drought.
4. Follow good mowing practices.
Keep your mower blades sharp, and mow according to grass growth. Remove only one-third of the blade height in a single mowing. But if you suspect fungal lawn disease, then never compost them. Always collect and dispose of such lawn clippings. It’s because some diseases spread through clippings. And they can infect your entire compost pile.
5. Dethatch lawns and aerate soil regularly.
6. Use pesticides for severe infestations.
