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Pink Fungus on Grass

Lawns that display pink fungal growth indicate that they have contracted a fungal disease called pink snow mold or fusarium patch. Gardeners may see signs of fusarium patch during cool weather conditions or after the snow melts. It is important to identify this disease to prevent further damage to your grass.

  1. Fusarium Patch

    • Fusarium patch primarily damages cool season grass types such as creeping bent grass, annual bluegrass and colonial grass, according to Texas A&M University. This fungal disease often occurs when lawns experience an early snow fall before the ground freezes. However, grass may also be infected when temperatures range between 32 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The disease stops spreading when temperatures exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time temperatures warm up, your yard may be severely damaged by fasarium patch.

    Damage

    • Early signs of fusarium patch consist of yellowish patches of grass that can extend from either several inches or several feet depending on the extent of the infection. Gardeners typically notice signs of the disease when snow begins to melt. Infected grass takes on a bleached out appearance. When the grass is wet, a pink, matted mold growth can be evident on the grass blades. Eventually, grass blades and sometimes roots die out from the disease.

    Treatment

    • Treatment with fungicides can only prevent future episodes of fusarium patch. Infected grass in the spring cannot be treated. To prevent the disease from damaging your lawn in the winter, apply a fungicide in the late fall or in October. Use a fungicide that contains mancozeb, PCNB of fenarimol, as recommended by the University of California. One application may not be enough to prevent the disease. Gardeners should apply fungicides on their lawns until conditions that favor fusarium patch cease.

    Prevention

    • Employ cultural practices to reduce the risk of your lawn contracting fusarium patch. Keep you lawn mowed in the fall to prevent creating a hospitable environment for fungal spores to grow in matted grass. Maintain a pH range between 6.5 to 6.7 to reduce the risk of fusarium patch. Also, gardeners may use a fertilizer that is high in phosphorous in the late fall to promote root growth. Vigorous root growth prevents fusarium patch. Avoid applying a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen that causes stress to the grass.

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Growing Grass
  1. My St. Augustine Grass Is Dying With Fungus
  2. Lawn Fungus & Overseeding
  3. Blue Fungus on Grass
  4. Grass Fungus Problem
  5. Purple Fungus on Fescue Grass
  6. Rye Grass and Fungus
  7. Brown Grass Fungus
  8. Brown Patch Disease in Fescue Grass
  9. Grass Fungus Prevention
  10. White Fungus on Grass
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  12. A Brown Patch of Lawn Fungus

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