Lawn diseases in Ohio can be a frustrating aspect of yard maintenance. That’s because you can do all the right things and still have a lawn fungus creep in. Sometimes if the conditions are just right, grass fungus in Ohio can be an unavoidable occurrence.
The good news is that often, these situations aren’t serious…particularly if your lawn is in good shape. Even though there are many grass fungus types, most of them won’t do too much harm.
In this article, we’ll talk about lawn disease identification and what you should do if you suspect you have fungus growing in your yard.
We’ll cover the most common grass fungus types in Ohio which include:
1. Brown Patch
2. Red Thread
3. Dollar Spot
4. Rust Disease
5. Slime Mold
6. Summer Patch
7. Powdery Mildew
8. Fairy Ring
Let’s dive in!
Before we go any further in identifying grass fungus types and what to do about them, let’s talk about what this even means.
Lawns are living things made up of millions of microorganisms. Fungus spores exist on every lawn and are usually beneficial to your soil health. But when the conditions are right (hot temperatures and high moisture), spores can begin to multiply and become a problem.
To better understand lawn diseases and how they grow and spread, it helps to understand the Turf Disease Triangle. This is a conceptual model that demonstrates how three factors (just like the three angles of a triangle) need to be present in order for lawn disease to occur.
These factors are:
1. A disease-causing organism (lawn fungus in this case)
2. A susceptible host (the specific grass species)
3. A favorable environment (moist and hot weather)
When all three of these factors are present at the same time, a disease can emerge and spread.
Now, let’s look at some of the specific grass fungus types that we tend to see in our area.
These 8 grass fungus types are the ones that we see most often. We’ll explain what they are and what to do about them.
Brown Patch disease is caused by the moisture-loving fungus Rhizoctonia solani. As you may have guessed from the name, it can lead to brown spots in the yard. These spots can start out small but will often grow together to cover bigger areas of turf.
This disease can occur in spring but is most common in mid- to late-summer when the weather is hot.
This is an early spring disease that is characterized by the red (or pink) thread-like growth that occurs on the lawn. Grass can also start to look ragged and yellow (almost like straw).
Dollar Spot gets its name from the silver dollar-sized circles that show up with this disease. The lesions are typically green or yellowish but can become brown (at which point, it is sometimes mistaken for Brown Patch disease…and vice versa). But whereas Brown Patch thrives during the hottest/wet days, Dollar Spot will appear during moderate-temperature days (60 degrees to low 80s).
Rust Disease in the lawn will start as small yellow flecks that turn into rust-colored areas. These spores can leave a distinct orange color on people’s shoes and also be spread around this way.
Slime Mold is a fungus that can show up on any grass type but it does not cause disease, meaning it won’t injure the grass like other lawn diseases in Ohio. It’s only a cosmetic frustration. Slime Molds can be raked or mowed away.
Summer Patch (aka Magnaporthe poae) is another grass fungus type that is characterized by brown patches. This is one of the most destructive lawn diseases in Ohio because of the fact that it can kill infected grass down to the root zone. Mowing the lawn too short makes your grass more susceptible to this disease so it’s important to mow to the proper height.
It also tends to appear in areas of thatch. Lawn aeration can be a highly valuable service that will help prevent thatch build-up.
This fungus is characterized by the white or gray powdery appearance it leaves on the grass. It tends to thrive in areas of shade and prefers moderate to high humidity. It will also grow in areas of your lawn that lack good air circulation. Aerating your lawn can help increase the circulation of oxygen.
Fairy Ring is a disease that can cause dark green or brown circles. These rings might be accompanied by the growth of mushrooms, also growing in a circular shape. This disease is favored by moist soils and can occur in all turf types.
Now that you understand lawn disease identification, let’s talk about grass fungus treatment options.
While the sight of lawn disease tends to cause panic, the good news is that it very rarely kills the lawn. Most of the time, the lawn bounces right back when the conditions in the Lawn Disease Triangle change.
This is why we do not recommend lawn fungicides.
We know that a lot of companies sell this as an add-on service, but the fact is, they’re really expensive. They also don’t cure the disease, they just suppress it. It’s a common misconception that fungicides fix the damage that’s been done. That’s not the case at all. They just stop the disease from spreading.
Many of the grass fungus types we talked about in this article don’t always respond well to fungicides. The best thing that you can do is promote a healthier lawn that won’t be severely affected by disease in the first place. Practicing good cultural habits can go a really long way.
For lawn care companies that do offer fungicides, it can be a big revenue driver. The cost of applying a single fungicide treatment can be as much as two to three times the cost of a typical lawn care application. With the number of repeated applications that you’d need to get good coverage, you can end up spending the amount you’d spend on a total lawn care program just for fungicide applications.
Because we have our client's best interests at heart, we let them know that we’d rather see them invest money into a lawn care program that helps promote a thick and healthy lawn (which will help naturally fight back against lawn fungus plus bounce back quicker) than to see them throw tons of money into fungicide treatments.
In most cases, lawn diseases in Ohio do not last long. Once the conditions change, it will start to clear up. And if you already have a strong and healthy lawn, it will likely run its course quickly.
At Oasis Turf & Tree, we’re also taking steps to mitigate the problem by tailoring our program to the conditions. Some turf diseases thrive in high-nitrogen conditions and others thrive in low nitrogen conditions. Our lawn care technicians will make a turf disease identification and then make recommendations based on what you’re dealing with.
We’ll also take steps to make changes in the triangle. While we obviously have no control over the weather, we can introduce more disease-resistant grass species into your lawn with aeration and overseeding. This will also help to fill in any bare or thin spots that might have been caused by the lawn disease.
Plus, on top of all that, we are always proactively educating homeowners. We encourage them to take photos of anything that they see on their lawn in between our visits. We are also constantly sharing helpful tips on the proper cultural practices including proper watering.
At the end of the day, even the healthiest of lawns will sometimes face lawn disease when all of the conditions align. But there is no denying that a strong and healthy lawn is going to do a much better job fending off disease than one that is already weak and struggling.
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. While we can’t promise you that you’ll never face any problems (and any company that’s making that promise will never be able to deliver), we can help you ensure it’s not going to end up ruining your lawn.
You should also know that we’re always here to help. We’re ready to offer advice and help set you up for success every step of the way.
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: slime mold, fairy ring, powdery mildew, lawn fungus, rust fungus