Home Lawn and Turf in Mississippi
Control Diseases
Turfgrass damage should be diagnosed as soon as possible. Damage is often blamed on diseases or insects when climate, environmental conditions, or cultural practices are the real causes. Tree competition, cutting height, cutting frequency, herbicide damage, nutrient chlorosis, and soil compaction sometimes cause diseases to develop.
Diseases are usually more severe in lawns with a heavy thatch. Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed leaves, stems, and roots at the soil surface. It builds up over several years and restricts the movement of air, water, and fertilizers into the soil. When thatch is heavy, roots are generally shallow, which increases damage from drought.
Following are brief descriptions of the most common diseases of warm-season grasses and some suggested control recommendations. For more complete descriptions of these diseases and updated chemical control recommendations, use rates, timing of applications, and other information, refer to other Extension turf disease publications and suggested chemical labels.
Always read and follow label directions, as many pesticides have restrictive use or application guidelines and can be applied only by professional applicators.Some of the fungicides listed are labeled only for golf courses, sod farms, industrial or municipal turf areas, or to be applied only by professional applicators to residential lawns; therefore, they may not be used by homeowners.
For a detailed homeowner fungicide database, go to http://www.extensionplantclinics.msstate.edu. Once logged in, click on “Home Owner Fungicide Database,” then “View Information by Host,” and choose “Lawn” as the host. This should direct you to several fungicides that a homeowner can apply.
- Anthracnose
- Dollar Spot
- Fairy Rings
- Gray Leaf Spot
- Large Patch (Brown Patch)
- Melting out or Leaf Blotch
- Nematodes
- Rust
- Slime Molds
- Spring Dead Spot
- Take-All Root Rot
Other Disease Information
Table 15 - Fungicide product trade names for residentials lawns
Garden Vegetable Diseases
Ornamental and Tree Diseases
Pests of the Home
Plant Pathology Infobytes