Brown Patch Fungus on Your Tall Fescue Lawn? Here’s What You Can Do

Brown Patch Fungus on Your Tall Fescue Lawn? Here’s What You Can Do

If your once-healthy Tall Fescue lawn now needs a pick-me-up, you’re not alone. Based on North Carolina’s climate and location, spring makes your lawn type especially susceptible to a nasty physical defect: Brown Patch Fungus. Here we explain the different causes, identification and specialized treatment options that you have for controlling brown patch fungus in your lawn.

What Causes Brown Patch Fungus?

As the name suggests, fungus in your lawn is a product, not the root cause. Lawn fungus thrives in hot and humid temperatures, meaning that often this disease emerges in spring. This is when a fungus-favorable climate (75 degrees or higher) and moisture from rainfall and irrigation come together in a bad way. While fungus is a common occurrence, especially on Tall Fescue, the results can be highly detrimental to your lawn. Fescue naturally has little tolerance to Brown Patch Fungus without the right lawn fungicide plan.

How Do I Know I’m Dealing With Brown Patch Fungus? 

Here’s the best way to test if you’re dealing with this or another lawn issue:

• Stand back from your lawn, far enough you’ll easily be able to see any irregularities.
• Look for the appearance of what seem to be shadows or brown/orange circles (they can be more solid or even donut-shaped). They can range in size from a few inches to a few feet. Without these, you’re not dealing with visible Brown Patch Fungus yet.  
• If you locate an area like this, walk over to it and examine the leaf blades.
• If these leaf blades have tan or brown lesions on them, you are likely dealing with Brown Patch Fungus. Interestingly, if the leaf blades look more straw-like and folded in the center, you might be experiencing drought stress instead of Brown Patch Fungus. The solution in this case is more deep-reaching, infrequent watering for your lawn.

How To Get Rid of Brown Patch Fungus 

Prevention 

As with most lawn care best practices, prevention is the best option. A proactive fungicide plan can get your lawn in a good place before the threat of Brown Patch Fungus ever emerges. This can include:

• The right irrigation and drainage methods for your soil (including watering earlier in the day, not late at night).
• Using the best fertilizers and applications for your lawn’s specific needs. 

Immediate Treatment 

Of course, preventative fungicide measures aren’t helpful if you’re already dealing with Brown Patch Fungus. In this case, it’s best to get a free lawn analysis and learn more about what tailored fungicide plan can help you most. Otherwise, you run the risk of Brown Patch Fungus staking its claim over your entire lawn. Treatment can include: 

• Maintaining a proper mowing height. 
• Ensuring water intake stays at the right amount. 

Keep Your Lawn Prepared For Anything With Fairway Green 

Even if you’ve not yet experienced Brown Patch Fungus affecting your Tall Fescue, at some point you may. Rather than leave things to chance, invest in a custom-made solution for real results. Fairway Green ensures a top-standard for each and every lawn issue you’ll face, Brown Patch Fungus or not. Schedule your free lawn estimate today to get started!