A lot of lawn care companies talk about (and sell) lawn fungicide treatments—so it may be something you’re wondering if you need. While lawn disease is definitely a major source of frustration, you might be surprised by our answer that you really do not need lawn fungicide for your lawn to recover.
Of course, that’s something that other lawn care companies probably don’t want us to tell you. After all, lawn fungicide treatments can be a huge upsell and they are very expensive.
In this article, we’ll explain lawn fungus in more depth so that you can understand why investing in lawn fungicide is probably not the best use of your money.
What is Lawn Fungus?
In order to understand how lawn disease works, it helps to understand what is called the “Disease Triangle.”
In order for any plant disease to develop and spread, there are three factors that must be present.
1. Suitable environment (weather conditions)
2. Disease pathogen
3. Susceptible host plant (in the case of lawn disease, this would be variety of grass)
Just like there are three sides to the triangle, these three factors must be present for lawn disease to grow and spread.
That can definitely happen at times. In the late spring and summer, when the weather can be hot and wet, lawn fungus problems can be more common. Fungus spores already exist on every lawn and are usually beneficial to a lawn’s health. However, when the conditions are right, those spores can begin to multiply and become problematic.
In our region, the two most common lawn fungi we see are Brown Patch and Dollar Spot, both of which look quite alike.
While these diseases can definitely look really bad (and cause panic), they very rarely kill the lawn. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, lawns bounce back pretty quickly when conditions in the disease triangle change.
How We Change the Disease Triangle for Better Lawn Disease Control
Unbeknownst to many, lawn fungicide treatments are not the only way to initiate lawn disease control. In fact, fungicides don’t even cure disease, they just suppress it. It’s a common misconception that lawn fungicides fix the damage that has already been done. That’s not what happens. Instead, they just stop the disease from spreading.
But what also works, is when a factor in the triangle changes. For instance, if it’s been hot and wet, and it stops raining, the “favorable weather conditions” factor has changed (and lawn fungus will start to clear up). While we don’t have control over the weather, you know eventually, the conditions will change.
Another way that we are changing the disease triangle is by introducing new and more disease-resistant turf types into your lawn with aeration and overseeding. While there is no such thing as a completely disease-free turf type, there are increasingly improved varieties of grass seed that are more disease resistant.
The Best Defense Against Lawn Disease is a Healthy Turf
It’s also important to know that a thick and healthy turf can help to defend itself against lawn disease. This is why your money is better spent on a full lawn care program (including aeration and overseeding) than expensive fungicides.
Lawn fungicides can be as much as three times the cost of a lawn treatment! It’s shockingly high. And it’s not like it’s a one-and-done kind of treatment. You’ll need to continually apply lawn fungicides every three weeks.
Instead, focusing on a good lawn care program as well as good cultural practices (like proper mowing and watering) can make a huge difference.
On top of that, you also get the added benefit of working with a lawn care pro who is keeping an eye on your lawn. While the typical assumption is that brown spots on the lawn are being caused by a lawn fungus, there are actually many potential lawn problems that could cause this. These include pests, drought, mowing errors, or watering mistakes.
A lawn care pro can diagnose what’s going on with your lawn so that a solution can be implemented.
At the end of the day, even the healthiest lawns will sometimes face trouble (like lawn disease). But with a lawn care professional on your side, you don’t have to worry that you’re going to lose your lawn.
We believe that a healthy lawn is a team effort. You can count on us to guide you with cultural recommendations in regard to the tasks that you handle. And we’ll continue to ensure that our lawn care program is helping you produce healthy results.
By working together, we can help you achieve a thick and healthy turf that is not only going to look great but is going to have a much better chance of fighting back against invasive lawn disease.
Want to learn more about professional lawn care services for your Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio, or Northern Kentucky home? Request your quote, choose the lawn care program that’s right for you, and then sit back and relax as the pros help you get the lawn of your dreams without the worries.
Image Source: dollar spot