Turf Disease

How do you know if your lawn has turf disease? There are many indicators that become present on a lawn infected with turf disease. Here is a simple chart that outlines the most common turf diseases and provides information on identifying their presence on your lawn.

It is also very important to know the specific time of year these turf diseases are more prevalent. The Georgia Turfgrass Disease Calendar (Warm and Cool Season Grasses) provides a list of turf diseases commonly found in Georgia and when they are at their peak based on month.

Click Here to view the Georgia Turfgrass Disease Calendar

TURFGRASS DISEASE SUMMARY CHART Disease Image Host Season Conditions Symptoms/Signs Dollar Spot All warm and cool season grasses Fall - Spring Sub-optimal nitrogen levels. Dry roots with humid canopy. Small straw-colored patches. Irregular white lesions w/ distinct brown borders on the leaves at the outside edge of the patch. White cottony mycelia in early morning dew. Fairy Ring All warm and cool season grasses Spring, Summer and Fall Abundant rain. Large quantities of organic metter. Zone of dead grass inside a ring of dark-green grass or a band of dark-green grass. Ring of mushrooms. Brown Patch Cool season grasses November - May Temperature below 80ºF Abundant rainfall. Continual wetness for 48 hours. Infects leaf area closest to the soil. Dark rot at leaf base. Entire leaf will pull out easily. Roots are not affected. Large Patch Warm season grasses (especially St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass) Spring and Fall Temperatures of over 80ºF during the day and over 55ºF at night. Abundant rainfall. Continual wetness for 48 hours. Circular patches of dis-eased turf. Turf at the periphery of the patch may appear orange. Folia dieback from the leaf tip toward the base. Take-All Root Rot All warm season grasses Summer - early Fall Abundant moisture. Root rot. Thinning lawns. Leaf Spot/ Melting Out All warm and cool season grasses (especially Bermuda) All All year Mild temperatures. Drought. Wet foliage. Brown to purple lesion. Turf may appear purple. Lesions on stolons are dark purple to black. Anthracnose All warm and cool season grasses (especially Centipede) Spring Warm temperatures. High moisture. Reddish-brown spots surrounded by a yellow halo. Gray Leaf Spot St. Augustinegrass, Perennial ryegrass, Bermudagrass, Centipded, Bentgrass and some Fescues Late Spring - early Fall Abundant rain. Excessive nitrogen. Compacted soils. Olive green to brown spots enlarge to form oblong spots that are tan with distinctive darkbrown margins. May appear velvety gray with spore production. Pythium Root Rot All warm and cool season grasses All year Excessive rain. Poor drainage. Leaf decline. Thinning. Roots are discolored and easily removed. Pythium Blight Cool season grasses, mostly Tall fescue and Bentgrass Summer Poor drainage, wet soil. Leaf decline. Thinning. Slime molds All warm season grasses. Fall - Spring Cool temperatures. High humidity. Slimy or crusty substance covering grass.

Give AtlantaLawns.com a call today at 770-729-8842 to rid your lawn of turf disease!