Lawn fungus can take on many forms. You might notice brown or dead spots, threads, or rings present. For this reason, it can be hard to get rid of once you identify it. Most of the time, it caused by moisture, packed soil, mowing your grass too short, over-watering, using the wrong fertilizer or over fertilizing and humid weather conditions.
The reason they cause so much damage to lawns is that in order to thrive, these fungi essentially steal nutrients from the existing plants and lawn. Once these grasses are deprived of the proper nutrition, they often turn brown/yellow or sometimes die.
Diseased lawns are unhealthy and a pain to treat. Here are a few tips to deal with fungus and help reduce the chances of it spreading:
- Adjust your lawn mower settings. Raise your mower blade height to a taller setting so it keeps the grass thicker. Keep the blades sharp; duller blades won’t cut right and could spread lawn diseases.
- Don’t walk through the infected spot to avoid spreading.
- Conduct a soil test to see what the pH of the soil is
- Ensure that you have a type of grass that is recommended for your area. If not, you could be fighting it for years.
- Fertilize correctly. Both under-fertilizing and over-fertilizing can promote fungus in your yard. Make sure to read product instructions and consult a local lawn treatment provider to make sure everything is applied correctly.
- It is recommended to water your lawn in the morning hours to allow the blades to dry throughout the day.
- Use (with the help of an expert) a fungicide that is formulated specifically for the disease that your lawn has.
It may seem like a lot to keep in mind to avoid fungus and keep your lawn healthy, which is why most opt to seek a fair priced professional lawn treatment company to take care of it. Not only will they be able to identify likely culprits for damages, but they’ll also be actively engaged in keeping your grass healthy and beautiful.
Remember, lawn fungus isn’t the only reason there may be brown spots or splotches. It is not wise to start a treatment before knowing for sure what is causing it.