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What is lawn fungus?
How do you know that your lawn has a disease and what can you do about it? For many gardeners, the lawn is their pride and joy, but it is also an ongoing battle trying to keep the lawn looking green and lush. Lawn fungus can strike all year round, so regular checking of your lawn is a must. There are also a variety of diseases that can attack your lawn, and the lawn fungus treatment that you will use, will depend on the type of fungus you have identified. The most common cause of lawn diseases is fungi which are microscopic, thread-like organisms that spread by means of water-borne or air-borne spores. These spores grow when the environment is favorable, such as after snow, or in extreme heat. They need a susceptible host such as bluegrass, but could be prevented from spreading, or even occurring with good lawn management.
Types of lawn fungus diseases
After snow, your lawn may get snow mold, identified by pink or grey patches, prevalent in Kentucky grass also called typhula blight and fusarium patch. Extreme heat and humidity can also produce fungi, such as rhizoctonia blight, identified by a smoke ring at the edge which is gray colored or purple. Fusarium blight favors Kentucky grass in hot and dry conditions and shows up as brownish crescents or rings of dying grass with green centers. Other common signs of lawn fungus are powdery patches, dying brown spots or circles of grass, thin grass, rotting roots, and obvious signs such as mushrooms growing in the lawn. Most of these fungi are treatable with common lawn fungus treatment practices you can do yourself, and many are preventable if you look after your lawn. Any fungi that you are unsure of can be identified by cutting out a sample, roots and soil included, and sending it to a plant disease diagnosis lab, lists of which can be found either in your local library, or at the nearby garden center.
Treating and preventing lawn fungus
Lawn fungus treatment starts with good lawn maintenance, and then you will minimize any remedial work, by keeping your lawn healthy. Regular thatch removal prevents creating an environment for fungi to grow. Do not over fertilize your lawn and reduce the level of nitrogen in your fertilizer. Maintain the water level, not too much or too little. Consider changing your lawn grass to one that is more disease resistant, perhaps mixing your seeds as patches need to be reseeded. Aerate your lawn, this is a common problem, too little air and compacted soil provides an environment for diseased spores to take hold. Break up any fungal mats, remove them, dig out any diseased roots and dig out any mushrooms as they appear. There are proprietary fungicides on the market for lawn treatment, but they are generally harmful to the environment. Keep a watchful eye on your lawn; the best lawn fungus treatment is regular lawn maintenance and early intervention.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about pest and disease and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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