Common Lawn Diseases
Dead, brown or struggling grass? Let’s see if it’s a lawn disease.
There are three factors that cause lawns to become diseased:
- A disease-causing pathogen
- Susceptible grass species
- A favorable environment for the pathogen
A lawn disease will blossom if all three criteria take place simultaneously for a time period the pathogen needs to settle in. If anyone of these three criteria isn’t present, your lawn should be free of diseases.
The first step in addressing a problem area on your lawn is to identify the species of grass you have, a northern, cool-season grass or a southern, warm-season grass because different species are susceptible to different diseases.
Below are pictures and descriptions of several common turf diseases. See if one of these looks like the problem your lawn is having and if the description fits. If it does, you may have found your culprit. We’ve included tips on how to manage the problem and nurture your lawn back to good health.
The turf diseases listed are rarely detrimental to your lawn and fungicides generally aren’t needed for treatment, which could harm the environment and simply be a waste of money. Proper lawn care is the best option for preventing and treating these common turf diseases.
