Common Lawn Diseases

Our practical guide for lawn disease identification

There are many diseases that occur in lawns. Most of the diseases are caused by various fungal strains, either on the plant itself or in the soil. Turf diseases are found in most conditions, meaning both warm and cool season grasses are susceptible.

Grass diseases can be caused by environmental conditions or factors, such as:

  • cold and extended wet periods
  • warm and humid conditions
  • drought and stress
  • high soluble salts and poor nutrition
  • soil compaction
  • chemical damage, which can be a result of your maintenance practises and misuse of other products.

Careful identification of the cause of a problem and the disease is important for the selection of the correct control product and procedures. In some cases, the problem with your lawn might look like a disease, but could be the result of pests or weeds. So it’s important to contact the Lawn Doctor Team for advice if you’re unsure what’s affecting your lawn


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Brown Patch
Eradicate with Chlortan 720 Fungicide
Eradicate with Transact Fungicide
Eradicate with Mancozeb Plus
Rhizoctonia solani

DISEASE OF FOLIAGE AND/OR ROOTS


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Amthracnose
Eradicate with Heritage Maxx
Colletotrichum spp.

DISEASE OF FOLIAGE AND/OR ROOTS


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Pythium Blight
Eradicate with Heritage Maxx
Eradicate with Vantage Fungicide
Pythium spp.

DISEASE OF FOLIAGE AND/OR ROOTS


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Spring Dead Spot
Eradicate with Adama Bumper
Eradicate with Heritage Maxx
Leptosphaeria korrae

DISEASE OF ROOTS


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Dollar Spot
Eradicate with Chlortan 720 Fungicide
Eradicate with Adama Bumper
Eradicate with Mancozeb Plus
Sclerotinia homoeocarpa

DISEASE OF FOLIAGE


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Fairy Ring
Eradicate with Heritage Maxx
Basidiomycetes in the order Agraricales are capable of causing fairy rings

DISEASE

Fairy Ring is a unique disease as its symptoms are not directly caused by fungal pathogens. Instead, the Fairy Ring pathogens cause symptoms indirectly, by changing the chemical and physical properties of the soil.

Fairy Ring can present in rings or arc shapes or irregular patterns. Type II and III symptoms are not devastating to turf, however they do detract from uniformity and can affect playability, and in most cases management is required.

As the causes and symptoms can vary, curative fungicide applications can be unreliable. For the best control of Fairy Ring, a preventative strategy should be used.


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Rusts
Eradicate with Mancozeb Plus
Puccinnia & Uromyces species

DISEASE OF FOLIAGE


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Helminthosporium Disease
Eradicate with Heritage Maxx
Eradicate with Vantage Fungicide
Bipolaris spp., Drechslera spp. and Exserohilum spp.

DISEASE OF FOLIAGE AND/OR ROOTS