The excessive rainfall over the last couple of months along with a warmer than normal winter has resulted in some interesting turn disease sightings in lawns. Red thread is a common sight in lawns and is often found around the time of seedhead production in the spring when the turf could probably use some nutrition. Fine fescues and perennial ryegrass typically are susceptible to red thread infestation, but we’ve also been seeing red thread in Kentucky bluegrass stands. Red thread is easily identified by the pinkish-red mycelium that is threadlike and surrounds the leaf blade. In some extreme cases, it might remind you of miniature balls of pink cotton candy. The areas infected by red thread will die and the turf may appear wilted.
Turfs under low maintenance, particularly low nitrogen fertility, have been the areas with the greatest amount of red thread. Red thread can be mistaken for dollar spot in turf as the patchy-type kill is very similar. This is one of those diseases you need to get on your hands and knees to check out to make sure you know that it is red thread. Fungicide applications are usually necessary in dealing with red thread; a balanced lawn fertilization program will often help the turf outgrow the damage in the early stages of the disease but that’s a decisions for the experts at GreenLawn by Design to make, depending on the severity of the disease.
Our lawn technicians have also spotted pink patch and fungus. Diagnosing lawn diseases is both an ART and a SCIENCE that requires a systematic approach. If you are seeing patches of discoloration in your lawn, you could be seeing the RESULT of a lawn disease. Another challenge to diagnosing the problem is TIME – if you can recognize the initial stages of the outbreak, this will greatly increase the likelihood that you can treat it and your lawn will recover. If you decide to start applying chemicals to your lawn without first confirming what the disease is, this can be expensive decision and can actually cause more problems.
If you think you are seeing signs of disease in your lawn, we recommend calling the experts at GreenLawn by Design so you can enjoy your plush, green lawn this summer. After all, an ugly, brown and rough terrain can’t compare to the luscious, emerald green lawn you plant your bare feet on after a long, busy day of summertime fun.
If you suspect your lawn may have red thread lawn disease or some other grass fungus, bring in the trained eyes of a GreenLawn by Design’s certified specialist. GreenLawn by Design will design a tailored approach to give your lawn exactly what it needs at exactly the right time. Fungicides are essential tools for suppressing infectious diseases and maintaining high quality turf. Contact us or call 317.804.8088 to learn more.