Posted on June 9th, 2014
The thing you need to remember with this lawn tip is that most turf fungus is NOT a major concern and will go away on its own with proper fertilization, watering and mowing on your part.
Red Thread lawn fungus appears in turf as small pinkish-red spots or patches, usually in later May and June when temps are high, and humidity is higher. Infected areas eventually turn light tan, and the leaf tips or margins may be covered with fine pink
to red threads, giving the turf an overall pink coloration.
It is most severe on slow growing, nitrogen- deficient turf during damp weather
Susceptible turf include bluegrasses, bent grass, fescues, Bermuda grass, and perennial ryegrass. The leaves and leaf sheaths appear to be the only grass parts that become diseased.
Symptoms begin on the leaf blades as small, water soaked spots that rapidly enlarge to cover a large portion of the leaf or the entire leaf sheath. As these spots enlarge, the tissue dries out resulting in gradual fading to a tan color that may encompass the entire leaf blade.
During extreme humidity, the leaves may be covered with a pink fungal growth, which along with the grass tissue, forms thread-like material upon drying out. The coral-pink colored thread-like material extends from the ends of leaf blades and may also be present on the surface of leaves.
Areas of diseased grass range from two inches to several feet in diameter. The outside edge of infected areas have an uneven or “ragged” appearance
Tips to help this fungus clear include the following:
Mow at a high length (3.5inches)
Slow down on watering
Avoid night watering
Bag clippings during weekly mowing
Rinse mower blades after weekly mowing to prevent spreading
