Lawn Care 101: Disease Information

Brown Patch Fungus

This disease usually begins as small patches (approx. 1 foot in diameter) that turn yellow, reddish brown, brown, or straw colored as the leaves begin to die, and patches can expand to several feet in diameter. It is not uncommon to see rings of yellow or brown turf with apparent healthy turf in the center with the turf at the outer margin of a patch appearing dark and wilted.

Take all root rot

This disease directly affects the root-base of your turf and in turn does not allow the grass to efficiently obtain water or nutrients from the soil or store the products of photosynthesis. Initial activity of the fungus on the roots can only be observed by looking at the root structure and the above ground symptoms consist of irregular, yellow or light green patches ranging in diameter from a few inches to a few feet. Initially the roots appear to be thin and off-white in color with black lesions, eventually becoming very short, black, and rotten.