It is alarming to suddenly find brown/yellow patches in your lawn. Due to Florida’s hot Summer temperatures, high humidity, and frequent rains, you probably have a disease issue. Here are tools to identify fungal symptoms and make an educated guess for control.
Fungal Disease Identification
In Florida, most turfgrass problems are caused by fungal diseases. Each disease type is only active for a few months each year, and disease emergence depends on the environment and stress.
The two main symptoms of turfgrass diseases are a leaf and stem spots, and round discolored patches in the lawn. If you spot these signs, further examine the leaves and roots of your turf for more symptoms. Then, compare your findings with the flow chart below to identify which disease your lawn may be suffering from. Turf disease identification is an important first step in Disease Control.
An illustrated flow chart to aid homeowners in matching lawn problem symptoms to which fungus might be causing it. Download the full-size infographic.
Fungal Disease Treatment
If you have a recurring disease problem, you may use fungicides preventively. Howecver, don’t apply fungicides broadly; treat only areas with known problems. In addition, always follow label directions to prevent safety risks, pollution, and wasting money. Fungicide information is conveniently available online in an Ask IFAS publication: Homeowner’s Guide to Fungicides for Lawn and Landscape Disease Management. Table 1 lists fungicide products marketed to homeowners for controlling landscape plant diseases.
Fungal Disease Assistance
Still having trouble identifying Florida plants and weeds, then visit the Lake County Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic. The hours are Monday through Friday, from 9am to 4pm.
Master Gardener Volunteers are stationed in the plant clinic from 10am to 2pm.
Visit the Plant Clinic at the Lake County Agriculture Center, 1951 Woodlea Road, Tavares, FL 32778, T: 352-343-4101.
This article was written with the help of MGV Clayton Yuen, Lake County Master Gardener Volunteers. Thank you!
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