Big Daddy, I think my lawn has a fungus, what should I do?

The air in our region has very low humidity, especially when the heat comes on in the late spring and summer. We also have infrequent rainfall in most years and most areas of the state. What that means is, if we have diseases cropping up on our plant materials, it’s generally because of something we are doing. After reading some of the following information, please make sure you visit our water notice to make sure you are watering properly and not creating problems that are easily avoidable.

Your very first step is to identify if you do indeed have a fungus that is becoming a problem. There are several fungal diseases common to bluegrass turfs here in Utah, you can visit HERE to get a closer look at the symptoms and the cultural practices to get rid of them. I very rarely advise chemical controls because simple changes in watering, fertilizing, pruning or opening the soil will create a long term fix of the problem vs. the short term fix of chemical applications. Fungicides do have their place in the turf manager’s arsenal, particularly during very rainy periods or with areas prone to snow mold on north side slide off zones. It is not uncommon to see a misdiagnosis of fungus in areas that are actually seeing insect damage, drought stress, dog damage or even mower damage. Eliminate the other possibilities, adjust your watering and cultural practices and your problem should correct itself. -BD