Brown patch on lawn

This is much easier and less expensive than the use of fungicides and can be very effective. Fungicides can be difficult to rely upon for controlling brown patch and large patch in the home lawn, but regular applications can vastly improve the lawn appearance. Preventatively, fungicides should be applied to turfgrass tall fescue in the spring and early summer. Frequently brown patch symptoms become obvious around the first week of May in the Upstate.

Curative treatments may need to be made regularly during the summer if rainfall is frequent. Warm season turfgrasses also require fungicide treatments in the spring but are especially important in the fall for best disease control.

Although the large patch fungus is active in the cooler weather of fall, symptoms usually are more prominent in the spring as the warm season turfgrasses are greening up. Make the first application on warm season turfgrasses in early October for the fall and repeat the application approximately 2 to 4 weeks later, but before the turfgrass goes dormant. Re-apply a fungicide treatment in April for the spring application.

Typically, applications are made at to day intervals, depending upon the fungicide. If the disease is severe enough to warrant chemical control, select one of the following fungicides listed in Table 1.

It will help in disease control to alternate fungicides used with each subsequent application to prevent a buildup of resistance to a fungicide. Slightly better control may be obtained by a liquid spray fungicide application rather than by a granular application of the same fungicide active ingredient. Always alternate these fungicides with one of the others.

Alternatively, choose a product, such as Headway G or Pillar G, each of which contains 2 active ingredients. These can be used in repeated applications against brown or large patch without an increase in resistance to the fungicide treatment. Follow directions on the product label for use. Note: In general, azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, or fluoxastrobin will control brown and large patch for 28 days. The other three fungicides will control the diseases for 14 days. Irrigate according to label directions after application of granular products.

Landscape professionals should consult the Pest Control Guidelines for Professional Turfgrass Managers for additional recommendations.

This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label.

Use this guide to common lawn diseases to help you ID it and learn how to treat it. Skip to main content. Customize by ZIP Code. Featured Articles. Important Lawn Maintenance Projects for the Fall. The Benefits of Fall Feeding. Featured Products. Lawn Disease Control If your lawn is suffering from fungus or other diseases start here. Here's what to do. Tall fescue Perennial ryegrass Bentgrass. Follow these guidelines: Plant disease-resistant varieties and seed mixtures.

Reduce the amount of time the grass blades are wet. When needed, water during the early morning hours. Be sure to follow label directions, as overfed lawns are more susceptible to brown patch. Related Articles Whether you are just starting out, maintaining or troubleshooting, you'll find advice and answers here for all your lawn care needs.

In addition, this disease can be more severe in areas which have restricted air movement, such as between houses, fences, or plants. As previously stated, this particular turf disease will be most successful if your lawn is wet going into the evening and night. To prevent brown patch water your lawn in the early morning, preferably between am - am. Proper airflow is also crucial to preventing brown patch.

As previously stated, brown patch prefers moist areas; so if you increase airflow in troublesome areas, it will help to dry off your turfgrass. Do your best to increase circulation in these areas by removing unnecessary objects or foliage in your backyard. Also, a proper regiment of aeration will help to strengthen your lawn and increase airflow to the root zone.

The simplest thing to help your grass combat this, and any turf disease, is mowing your lawn properly. We recommend homeowners to:. First, take a rake and fluff your grass where the brown patch has occurred.