The winter months can be tough on your lawn – cold temperatures, snow, and ice can all take a toll on your turf. However, the real problems can sometimes lurk below the surface…
Though you might think that, during winter dormancy, you’ll have less lawn maintenance to do, you need to make sure you’re staying on top of your lawn care to minimise the chance of any unwanted fungal diseases developing.
Most lawn diseases are fungal, as, with natural living grass and the right humid conditions, it’s a breeding ground for fungus to thrive. The most common fungal lawn diseases are:
Snow Mould
Like any kind of mould, the disease is brought on by the naturally present fungi in the lawn having the perfect conditions to thrive- a cold, damp climate & lack of oxygen/airflow from being buried in snow makes it an ideal breeding ground for the disease to take hold.
Snow mould usually occurs in the winter and tell-tale signs to look out for are fluffy strands akin to the texture of cotton wool or spider webs on your lawn.
Snow mould can be difficult to spot if you have a significant amount of snow on your lawn & you may not be able to see the extent of the damage over the winter, but as the snow starts to thaw and you begin to prepare your lawn for spring, you’ll start to see areas/ rough circles of browning where the grass has been smothered and died. The grass in the affected areas will likely not recover & the fusarium patches will continue to thrive whilst weather conditions are still cold & wet.
There are a good few ways you can try and prevent snow mould, starting all the way at the end of Autumn where you can prep your lawn correctly to limit the possibility of it developing.
You should regularly rake your lawn to clear debris from piling up and on your final autumn mow, the shorter the better- longer grass stems means that the lawn will be more susceptible to smothering itself & when covered with snow/leaves, as the airflow is limited.
Dollar Spot
Dollar Spot is a turf disease which thrives in warm, humid climates. It earns its name from the rough circles or dollar coin-sized patches of bleached or brown grass it causes.
Dollar Spot can take over rapidly, killing large areas of grass and affecting the strength of your grass blades. The disease tends to be more prevalent during warm and humid periods like late spring and autumn. The disease thrives in prolonged damp conditions and if leaves, twigs and general debris have been left on your lawn, this can create a perfect environment for the disease to develop and thrive.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery Mildew is easily identifiable as a light, grey-ish cobweb-style fungus covering your grass. If you look closely, you can see that it forms in small patches and clumps together (earning its name ‘powdery’ as it’s similar to sprinkling talcum powder on your lawn) eventually coating most of the grass blade.
As with most fungus-based turf diseases, high humidity and wet conditions are ideal for the spores to thrive and spread in. Preventative measures would be to ensure good air circulation of your lawn by regular mowing at the correct height, clearing your lawn of debris and generally keeping on top of your lawn maintenance to keep turf diseases at bay.
Prevention
The main cause of lawn fungus is improper lawn maintenance- the more you’re looking after your lawn, the healthier it will be, discouraging the growth of unwanted fungi.
Preventative methods include mowing regularly, watering appropriately, sufficient lawn drainage and keeping the lawn free of debris, encouraging airflow. It is very difficult to tackle an outbreak of fungi when it has already progressed, so your best method for avoiding lawn fungus is to keep on top of your grass maintenance and provide an inhospitable habitat for fungi to thrive in.
If you find that your lawn has been significantly affected by lawn disease and is not naturally recovering, you can re-seed the damaged areas to inspire re-growth once the disease has been treated with a fungicide treatment.
Author Bio:
Chrissie Handley -Lawn Care Specialist – www.onlineturf.co.uk
Chrissie Handley is a lawn care specialist working for Online Turf. With extensive expertise in turf-laying, grass maintenance & seasonal gardening advice, she is dedicated to helping gardening enthusiasts achieve lush, healthy lawns year-round.
