Take All Root Rot vs Brown Patch
There are several different types of fungus in our area but when it comes to grass 2 causes the biggest issues. Both of these can be present in the Spring and Fall but each has its time of year. Take All Root Rot is most common and destructive during the spring time and early summer. Brown Patch is most common in the fall. Both can be deadly to your grass but Take All is hands down the worse of the two because of the way it affects the grass. It affects the roots system of the grass first and will cause death of the entire area. Your first sign typically is a bright yellow or lime green look to the grass. This is the grass starting to die because the root system is being affected. Brown Patch on the other hand affects the actual blade so you see the fungus earlier and therefore can get it treated faster. With both it is super important to act fast and apply a fungicide to kill the active spores. Usually with Brown Patch you just need to give the grass time to grow back. With Take All you oftentimes need to dethatch the area in question depending on how much death and destruction has been caused. The most frustrating part of any fungus is you typically don’t realize you have it until you have it and damage is being caused. Most products used to kill it are only active for 14-21 days so it can be cost prohibited to constantly spray your lawn. Some best practices would be to avoid quick release fertilizers, allow your lawn to dry out if you’re running sprinklers and be careful on how low you cut the grass. Thatch can also be a big contributor too fungus when the layer is allowed to get very thick. Under the thatch layer can get and stay very wet which is a prime environment for fungus. If you think you have a fungus remember that Brown Patch is usually in round circles and affects the blades of the grass. Take all affects of the roots and you will start to see random dead spots throughout the lawn. We want to avoid making a blanket recommendation on a type of fungicide to use. It really depends on the fungus you have, grass type and time of year. We can help you figure all this out if you need it though! Just send us a picture! Have a great day!
