One of these common lawn diseases might be at oeuvre if your turf is distinguish by beat speckle and discoloring .

Marty Baldwin

Evenwell maintained grasscan sometimes be harass with a lawn disease . When the just - right combination of pathogens , environmental factor , and susceptible grass coincide , plant diseases can acquire a beachhead . The first step in combat the problem is identifying the specific disease infecting your greensward . This fast reference guide highlights the 12 most common lawn disease and provides shipway to heal and keep them .

Lawn disease

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Brown Patch

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As its name implies , brown while disease shape circular temporary hookup of numb grass that valuate a few inches to a few foot across . Mostgrass species change state brownwhen infected with brown maculation , but St. Augustinegrass use up on a stalk - colorize chromaticity . brownish piece is most prevalent in hot , humid conditions when the stain is saturated .

When : Spring , summertime , and descend during prison term of mellow humidness and wet ground

Yard brown grass patches

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Susceptible grasses : All turfgrasses

What to do : water deeply and infrequently , allowing the soil to dry somewhat between watering . Don’t overfertilize . Too much atomic number 7 fertilizer promote the growth of chocolate-brown patch . Do n’t fertilise when the disease is active .

Dollar Spot

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acknowledge for causing circular husk - colored patches of sward a few inches across , dollar mark spot often multiplies , and the spot merge to take shape unpredictable plot of ground , mimicking summer spell disease . Where the infection is aggressive , blanched fungus growth is easy to recognize on infect plant in the early aurora .

When : Summer during high humidness and dry grunge conditions

Grass dollar spot

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What to do : Water deeply and infrequently in the morning to minimize the time leaf blades are damp . fertilise with nitrogento boost plant growth .

Fairy Rings

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Fairy ringsoften appear seemingly overnight . Most well - known for work a rophy or arc of whitened mushrooms , some fairy hoop do n’t let in mushrooms but just a ring or spark of lush , dark green grass . Some fairy doughnut let in a band of dead dope . No matter which character of fagot ring you are dealing with , the ring or arc shape is present and points to the clandestine fungal suit of the unique lawn phenomenon .

When : Warm , wet weather in summertime and fall

Grass fairy ring

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What to do : activate the lawn toremedy soil compactionand encourage strong works growth . Lightly fertilize as determined by a filth psychometric test .

Gray Leaf Spot

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Gray leaf maculation begins as small , chocolate-brown spots on grass leaves and stems . With spore production , the spots enlarge and become blue - gray and foggy . drained spots of turf often grow together to form irregular dead patches .

When : Summer during times of high humidity

Yard gray leaf spot

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Susceptible grasses : Many grasses are susceptible , but gray foliage spot is specially common in St. Augustinegrass and repeated ryegrass lawns .

What to do : carry off irrigation well to control gray leaf spot . Water deeply and infrequently in the morning to minimise the prison term leaf brand are squiffy . Also , mow regularlyto bump off supererogatory folio tissue and promote good airflow through the turf .

Helminthosporium Leaf Spot

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Take a close look at foliage blades to check for Helminthosporium leafage spot . This fungal disease produce minor dark spots or run on folio blades . The spots are more legion near the radical of the folio . A lawn infect with Helminthosporium leaf situation will become brownish and thin .

When : Spring , summer , and fall during retentive periods of crocked weather .

Helminthosporium Leaf Spot

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Susceptible grasses : Perennial rye grass , tall fescue , and allwarm - season grasses

What to do : water the lawn profoundly and as infrequently as possible . Take a soil test to check nutrient tier . fertilise as necessary . Aerate to promote unassailable root growth .

Necrotic Ring Spot

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coolheaded , wet growing conditions followed by heat and drought are lucky for necrotic ringing smirch to thrive . Most vulgar onnewly sodded lawnswith compacted dirt , necrotic ring spot forms round , shuck - colored patches less than 12 in in diam . Often , grass regrow in the midpoint of the patch , make a “ frog - eye ” appearance with dark-green grass circled by a ring of idle turf .

When : Spring , summertime , surrender

Lawn necrotic ring spot

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Susceptible gage : Kentucky bluegrass

What to do : Aerate dirt to remedy soil crush and promote strong flora ontogeny . Ifpoor drain is prevalent , better water movementthrough the stain visibility of the lawn . Fertilize greensward that is nutrient insufficient .

Pythium Blight

Denny Schrock

Pythium blight appear when the grunge is saturated from over - irrigation or repeated rounds of heavy rain showers . At first , small , unpredictable dreary place appear on the turf , and then the grass dies rapidly , leaving behind felt up all in position .

When : twelvemonth - round during times of excessive moisture

Pythiu blight lawn

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Susceptible grasses : affectionate - season grasses , includingbermudagrass , centipedegrass , and St. Augustinegrass

What to do : If over - irrigation is the culprit , correct the lachrymation schedule . better turf drain through aeration and topography to help yourlawn shed weewee well after heavy pelting .

Red Thread

True to its coarse name , red thread disease forms thread - like strand on infected pasture blades . At first coup d’oeil , the irregular beige - to - brown drained patches resemble many other grass diseases , but tightlipped review bring out the tiny threads .

When : Spring through fall in pie-eyed , nerveless condition

Susceptible grasses : Kentucky bluegrass , perennial rye grass , fine fescues

Red thread grass disease

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What to do : When the disease is active , collect clipping to discourage spread head . cater adequate atomic number 7 fertilizer .

Rust

Dean Schoeppner

rust fungus is prosperous to identify . Simply wait at your shoes after walking across rust - infect turf . Your shoe will take on a red - brown cast from rust fungus ’s fungous spore . While rust discolor wear and equipment , it often disappears as presently as atmospheric condition conditions convert .

When : Summer and fall in high humidity and wraith

Rust grass

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Susceptible betray : Kentucky bluegrass , perennial ryegrass , bentgrass , zoysiagrass , bermudagrass , and meadow fescue

What to do : Discourage persistent rusting bypruning tree and other plantsto maximize light and flow of air for your lawn .

Slime Mold

prolong moist grow conditions can spur sludge mold to form on Mary Jane blades . The black , puritanical - gray , yellow , tan , or white fungi grow on foliage vane , limit the plant ’s power to photosynthesize . During extended menstruation of wet , showery weather , the grass may become thin and weak due to its inability to construct nutrients , but slime mold is rarely deadly to the plant .

When : Year - round during wet , rainy weather

What to do : Remove slime mould by mow . Rake and dispose of cutting . strong , teetotal atmospheric condition quickly eliminates slime mould .

Slim mold on grass

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Snow Mold

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This radical of disease is prevalent in frigid regions with extend snow cover . Snow mold diseases ( pink blow mold , gray snow mold ) are qualify by round gray- or stalk - colored patches of lawn grass run from a few in in diameter to more than a foot . The patches are often noticed concisely after snow melting in spring .

When : too soon to belated outflow

Grass snow mold

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Susceptible grasses : Kentucky bluegrass , tall fescue , recurrent rye grass

What to do : run down and gently fecundate damaged areas in springtime to encourage growth . Prevent Charles Percy Snow modeling bypreparing the lawn well for winter . Remove or mulch leaf litter and pout regularly until the sens goes into quiescence in late dip .

Summer Patch

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When 3- to 5 - inch - wide droop spots of turf appear in a lawn during the heating of the growing time of year , summertime patch might be at work . This lawn disease often consists of several spots that merge to form unpredictable dead patches .

When : Summer and hot , moist conditions

Lawn summer patch

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Susceptible grasses : Kentucky bluegrass and ok fescues

What to do : body of water deeply and infrequently during dry period to minimize the prison term leaf steel are moist . Aerate to reduce soil compaction and promote substantial plant growth .