Grass Disease

Grass Disease: know what to look for

Lawn diseases are a common and frustrating probability for even the most dedicated gardening-enthusiast. Knowing the types of lawn disease and their causes are an important step towards limiting your lawns vulnerability to diseases. Here is a guide to some of the most common lawn diseases and how to spot them:

Anthracnose

Anthracnose takes the appearance of red-brown colored spots on the shoots of one’s grass. Areas of the lawn affected from Anthracnose can vary from 2 inches up to ten feet in size. Warm weather, humidity and periods of heavy rain are all factors that can increase the likelihood of Anthracnose.

Brown Patch

Brown patch is an unsightly type of lawn disease that cause the stems and leaves of grass shoots to die in large circular patches on one’s lawn. Brown patch is a very common lawn disease and has the same causes as Anthracnose; warm weather, humidity and excessive rain.

Copper Spot

Copper spot causes one’s lawn to show small, red-colored spots that gradually enlarge in size and become darker in color. These spots are generally up to 3 inches across and eventually cause the grass inside the area of the copper spot to die. High humidity is one of the biggest precursors to copper spot.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew appears as a pale grey growth alongside grass shoots. Excessive moisture or dampness, as well as wet and overcast weather and cool temperatures, preclude Powdery Mildew.

Red Thread

Red Thread causes healthy grass to change in color to tan or bleached- out green. Once Red Thread alters the color of the plant, the blades will begin to whither from the tips downwards, resulting in small patches of dead grass. Misty weather and a lack of sufficient fertilization can increase risk of Red Thread.

Frog Disease

Frog disease causes pale green patches to develop on one’s lawn. These patches can grow up to 24 inches and later change color to a red-brown. Drought-stressed grass often develops Frog Disease as a result of a lack of nutrients and water.