After hours of meticulous yard work, from mowing and edging to fertilizing and watering, is there anything worse than finding evidence of fungus? Just the word is enough to conjure up some pretty disgusting images. Lawn fungus is unsightly and can be pretty relentless. Here are 3 tips for keeping your Visalia lawn fungus free this season:
1. Know Your Enemy
Many different types of fungus and mold can infect your yard. Knowing what type of fungus is spreading will determine how you treat it.
- Dollar Spot: This fungus shows up as small tan and light-colored spots on your lawn. The spots are about the size of a silver dollar (thus the name). This will typically occur on grass that has been mowed too short.
- Fusarium Blight: If you have patches of grass that are grayish colored, tan, or straw-colored, then you may have fusarium blight on your lawn. This will typically occur on drought-stressed grass.
- Brown Patch: The dreaded brown patch is known all over the country. Brown patches of grass are usually the result of a lawn being overwatered.
2. A Good Defense: Fungus Prevention
When it comes to lawn mold and fungus, the best offense is a good defense. Preventing these fungi in your lawn will save you the trouble of having to treat it.
- Aeration: This is one of the best ways of preventing lawn fungus and keeping your lawn healthy. Aeration pulls up plugs of soil, allowing airflow and more nutrients to get down to the roots while allowing moisture to penetrate deeper and prevent pooling.
- Watering: Make sure you’re giving your lawn the proper amount of water and at the right time. It’s best to water in the morning to allow the blades of grass to be dried off in the sun throughout the day. Fungus tends to grow on lawns when water is sitting there for long periods.
- Mowing: Don’t mow your lawn too short! Scalping your lawn is a major cause of fungal growth in Visalia. Set your lawnmower to cut between 2-3 inches for best results.
3. Fight Back: Fungus Treatment
If you’ve identified the type of fungus on your lawn, you should be able to properly treat it.
- Dethatch: Use a rake to break up the affected grass. This will allow the area to dry up which can eliminate the fungus.
- Sharpen Your Mower Blades: A dull lawnmower blade will tear your grass instead of cutting it. This will damage the grass blades and make them more susceptible to mold and fungus.
- Natural Remedies: Compost tea, neem oil, and baking soda solutions are all natural options for removing fungus from your lawn.
- Fungicide: If all else fails, go for the fungicide. These products will typically treat multiple types of fungus. We recommend identifying the type so you can buy the product that will fight it best.
Need additional help? Call the professionals!
The trained lawn care technicians at LawnStarter can help get your lawn back to its healthy self. We cover all lawn care services including lawn aeration and fungus treatment! Visit our Visalia lawn care page or call us at 1-866-822-1766 for a quote today.
