What Are the Treatments for Grass Fungus?

Fungicides

• Lawn diseases such as leaf spot, necrotic ring spot, sclerotinia dollar spot and rhizoctonia blight are treated with fungicide applications. Some other types of lawn diseases such as rhizoctonia yellow patch cannot be controlled with fungicides. It is important for gardeners to apply fungicides before their lawn damage is severe. Applying fungicides immediately after infection increases your success rate. When applying fungicides, make sure that the label indicates that it kills your specific lawn disease. Also, follow the directions when reapplying the fungicides for optimal control.

Thatch Removal

• Thatch management helps control fungal diseases and prevents future occurrences. To check to see if you need to remove your thatch layer, cut a 2-inch wedge shape of turf out of your lawn. A thatch layer of more than 1/2 inch warrants thatch removal. When thatch layers are allowed to accumulate, they create the perfect moist environment for fungal disease development. Remove thatch by renting a power dethatcher. Push the power dethatcher back and forth across the lawn and rake up the debris to prevent spreading fungal diseases.

Aerating

• Aerating your lawn fixes soil drainage problems. Fungal diseases run rampant when lawns have compacted soils or drainage issues. You can rent a core aerator from your gardening supply center. Core aerators remove plugs of soil that are 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and 1 to 6 inches deep. The small holes made into the lawn help increase drainage and air flow, which helps prevent the spread of fungal diseases.

Watering

• Changing your watering practices helps manage fungal diseases. The fungal spores that cause diseases germinate and spread when grass blades are excessively moist or wet for an extended amount of time. Watering your lawn in the morning allows the warm air temperatures and heat to evaporate the moisture off grass blades during the day. Also, avoid overwatering your lawn. Lawns typically need 1 inch of water a week. Leave tuna cans in the yard and measure the amount of water in cans before watering.