Lawn Turf Disease and Fungus Guide

The disease initially appears as an irregularly shaped orange-brown patch, a few centimetres wide, and increasing in size quite rapidly when conditions are suitable for the pathogen to thrive. As the patch develops, a white cotton like mycelium may develop around the edge as the infection advances. After a period of time the patches generally die back leaving very distinct brown areas on the turf. These scars will naturally heal if the turf is actively growing. However, as the disease pressure is generally higher during the autumn, the conditions may not be suitable for recovery until the following Spring. In most cases, the diseased area will completely recover once the grass is actively growing again.

The spores of the pathogen travel via surface moisture, so the disease is most likely to be encountered from September through to April when conditions are damp and humid with limited daylight. It’s worth noting that the disease is always present and can occur at any time of the year if conditions are favourable for its development.

To discourage the presence of Fusarium Patch, it is important to keep the leaf as dry as possible by removing any dew formation and maintain a sufficient flow of air to the base of the grass sward. The application of a good quality Autumn fertiliser containing a high content of potash and iron will not only harden the plant leaf going into Winter but also add some colour.

If the outbreak does require an application of Fungicide you should contact a fully certified contractor and ensure they use only a correctly labelled product.