About Grass Fungus

There are several different types of grass fungus that commonly affect lawns in North America. Pink snow mold looks like pink cottony fluff amidst brown or yellowed patches of grass. Dollar Spot shows up as small brown spots on the lawn, grouped in about 15 or 20. Brown Patch will turn green grass into large dry brown spots within 24 to 48 hours, and thrives in soils that are over fertilized. Rust is a grass fungus that becomes active in warm and moist weather, turning green grass to light green or yellow in late spring and yellow or brown in summer. Slime mold can appear as a yellow or gray slime that clings to grass blades. The grass fungus known as fairy ring leaves rings of dead grass and mushrooms can often appear in the center.

Identifying the type of grass fungus that is infesting your lawn is just the first step. Each fungus requires a different treatment to eliminate it, but there are similar actions you can take for most grass fungus. For almost every type of grass fungus, which thrive after a heavy spring snow, rain or heavy dew, keep the grass mowed low so that the area can dry out. Other grass fungus treatments include applying a fungicide to the area and raking dead grass up. There are different fungicides available for various infections. Many home owners have also found success with mowing the grass short, as it allows the air to penetrate the lawn and dry it out.

Applying a fungicide is the standard treatment for grass fungus. There are three kinds of fungicides: Penetrant, Contact and Systemic. Penetrant fungicide goes directly onto the leaves and then is absorbed into the root system and it can be applied as a preventative before there is even a problem. Contact fungicide stays on the surface of the grass and kills mold and spores on contact. Systemic fungicide is also applied to the grass blades and is absorbed, but is used to target and kill fungi that is already present. Fungicides can be purchased at greenhouses, nurserys, home improvement stores and gardening specialty stores, and experienced workers can help you choose the right one for your grass fungus problem.

There are several things you can do to prevent your lawn from getting fungus in the first place. Since fungus thrives in wet warm lawns, do everything you can to keep your lawn moist but not soggy. Take away piled up snow in the early spring so it doesn't soak the grass and soil underneath. Water your lawn on sunny days, not when it is cloudy. The sun will evaporate any excess water. Apply a penetrant fungicide to stop fungus growth before it can take hold of the lawn, and applying a nitrogen fertilizer at the appropriate times during the season, as fungi don't grow well with higher nitrogen levels. Raking up grass clippings after mowing and rake up dead grass undergrowth in the early spring to further keep grass fungus at bay.

How soon you treat grass fungus after spotting it can have a big effect on how quickly your lawn can recover. The best time to apply a preventative fungicide is in the early spring, although regional variations should be considered. For example, if you are in a region where June and July are high months for grass fungus, apply a preventative fungicide at the end of April. Treat your lawn at the first sign of infection, as the longer you allow the fungus to continue, the more damage it will do to the lawn. Timely applications will keep fungus from spreading and damaging the lawn before the results can even be seen.