Red Spots in the Lawn

Red Spots in the Lawn

There is a good chance when you read this, it is raining.  When we have extended periods of rain, we have long stretches of moisture on the grass.  Pair that up with humidity and you have fungus in lawns.  Just like a person who eats healthy and exercises daily, they can catch a cold every once in a while.  We are feeding the lawn properly and you are mowing/watering correctly.  Sometimes Mother Nature let’s us know who is in control still with a lawn fungus.

Right now we are seeing high levels of a lawn fungus called Red Thread.  If you are seeing tan patches (usually fairly small) or even red or pink spots in the lawn, then you are seeing this type of lawn disease.  We are also seeing some dollar spot disease.  Both have lesions that appear on the grass blades.  Both are blade diseases.

Good News – It won’t kill grass

Bad News – It will probably take a little time to “grow” itself out

Red thread fungus is brought on by weather conditions – usually lots of rainy weather.  It shows up with small tan, pink, or red spots in the lawn.  Sometimes it indicates the lawn is running out of nutrients.  Other times it is just because the type of grass you have is more susceptible than others and the weather conditions are just right for red thread fungus.

So what should you do now?

  1.  Feed the Lawn – Get some nutrients down to help grow out the red spots in the lawn
  2. Plant Better Grass – In Dayton and Cincinnati the ideal time to plant newer varieties of grass into your old lawn is September through Early October
  3. Turn Off the Sprinkler System – If it has been raining quite a bit, don’t over-water the lawn by continuing to run your sprinkler system.  You can cause more problems with too much moisture
  4. Mow the Lawn High – Mow the lawn at 3-4 inches after being cut to promote a deep root system and a strong lawn to fight off Red Thread Fungus

Red Thread Fungus

Last piece of advice – Be patient.  It will grow out with nutrients applied and a change in the weather.

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