Happy Wednesday! It’s supposed to rain in the coming days, which means it’s a good time to think about lawn fungus.
Fungus loves moisture and humidity, so you can prevent fungus by not over-watering your lawn. Your grass needs 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall. Use a rain gauge to see how much water you’re getting from rain, and how much you’ll need to run your sprinklers on top of that to get 1 inch total. Also, if you have a lot of thatch built on top of your lawn, it can trap moisture and encourage fungus to grow. Knowing the early signs can help you act fast and treat it before it spreads to the entire yard.
The main early sign of take-all root rot is highlighter yellow/green grass. As the fungus develops, the grass will start to thin out and leave uneven, bare patches that grow rapidly. Root rot can be devastating, and often destroys entire yards.
The other fungus we typically get here is brown patch fungus. As the name suggests, this looks like circular patches of brown/yellow grass that grow and multiply.
If you notice any of these issues in your yard, confirm that it’s fungus as soon as possible and start treating it with a fungicide. It’s best to double-check with a professional, because lawn fungus can look similar to chinch bug damage or other stressors.
If you need help or have any questions, let us know! We can test your sprinkler system and calibrate it to make sure your grass gets the correct amount of water every time.
