What are the common turfgrass diseases?

Maintaining a beautiful lawn throughout the year can be difficult if you are not taking proper Lawn Care in Canton. Many diseases affect turfgrasses in Ohio, and some kind of fungus or nematodes causes most of these diseases. It is imperative to understand what Turfgrasses are before we can dive into common diseases that affect them.

It is a grass species with a fine texture and can handle traffic and different mowing styles. It is the most preferred grass species used for home lawns across the US. There are two types of Turfgrasses that you will find in the US.

• Cool-season turfgrasses: These are more resilient to the cold climate and are mostly adapted for turf use in Ohio. Some of the cool-season turfgrasses include Creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescues, Perennial ryegrass, and Tall fescue.
• Warm-season turfgrasses: These are mostly adapted for turf use in the southern regions of the US. Some examples of warm-season turfgrasses include Bahiagrass, Bermudagrass, centipedegrass, Saint Augustine grass, and Zoysiagrass.

Now let us talk about the most common turfgrass diseases that you need to consider.

1. Brown patches (Rhizoctonia Solani)

These usually affect almost every cool-season turf lawn in the US. During summers’, the night temperature usually hovers around 65 to 70 F – and this common turfgrass disease is caused due to a fungus, and it results in brown patches. It can be treated if identified early. Potent fungicides can be used to control the spread of brown patches.

2. Pythium blight (Pythium aphanidermatum)

It is also known as a foliar disease, and it can spread quickly on the turfgrass. It affects the seedlings and eventually kills the grass. It is a common water mold and usually seen on the turfgrasses with damp soil. You can notice circular areas usually about 1 to 3 inches in diameter. The foliage starts to look gray in color. You can use fungicides like mefenoxam to treat this disease. However, it needs to be implemented before the symptoms are noticed.

3. Summer patch (Magnaporthe poae) or necrotic ring spot (Ophiosphaerella korrae)

These two diseases are not as common as the ones we have mentioned above, but these are often noticed in the Canton region, and they could be tough to manage. You can notice circular patches of brown grass or a complete brown color turf, especially during the late summers. There are preventive fungicides that you can use to prevent this disease. Please note that once you notice the symptoms, chemical treatment is ineffective.  You must apply preventive treatment in the late spring when these kinds of pathogens become active. The two fungicides that show effectiveness to treat these diseases are:

• Strobilurins
• DMI (propiconazole)

In most of the common turf diseases, taking prevention is highly recommended. You need to ensure regular maintenance of your turfgrass to ensure a disease-free lawn. You can hire lawn care services in Canton, Ohio, for help. We at Fili property maintenance offer various services like landscaping services that include Retaining Walls in Ohio, Tree Removal in Canton, overall Lawn Care in Canton, and many more. You can get in touch with us at 330-904-4196 for more information.