Signs of Summer Patch Lawn Disease & How to Treat It

Summer patch doesn’t sound too bad, right? It sounds kind of like a picnic plan — find a nice summer patch of soft green grass or a pretty summer patch of wildflowers and spread out the picnic basket and break out the cheese and crackers. 

If only it were that lovely.

How about ugly patches of dead turf and rotted lawn roots? 

Summer patch lawn disease is ugly and destructive, showing up in the heat of summer — just when you want to enjoy your yard and maybe spread out a picnic blanket on a pretty summer patch of lawn. 

Let’s try to avoid it, shall we? Here’s how:

What Does Summer Patch Look Like?

Not good. 

You might first see small circular patches of wilted, thin lawn. Then those patches typically get bigger and turn into irregular, yellow-to-bronze colored areas ranging in size from six inches to 3 feet in diameter. Suddenly you have big areas of blighted turf. Ugh. 

Summer patch disease especially loves compacted, poorly drained areas during hot, wet weather. It also tends to attack short grass — just one of many reasons not to mow your grass too short. (More on that in a bit.)

Bye, Grass Roots

This root-destroying fungus looks similar to other summer lawn diseases, like dollar spot and necrotic ring spot, but summer patch disease is even worse for your lawn because it kills not just the grass, but the roots, too. 

If you’re not sure if it’s summer patch disease, pull up a tuft of grass and examine the roots. Roots infected with summer patch are dark brown or black and short. Healthy grass roots are lighter in color and longer.

Rotting roots means you’ll have to reseed your lawn.

How to Treat Summer Patch Lawn Disease

Summer patch disease is a tough fungus to deal with, since it destroys your lawn’s roots. 

RainMaster lawn pros have high-quality fungicides that can tackle the lawn disease, but recommend other methods of control first.

Your best bet to control lawn fungus like summer patch lawn disease is to prevent it, with proper mowing, watering and fertilizing. 

A healthy lawn is better equipped for trauma like drought, insects and summer lawn diseases. 

Here are some tips:

• Fertilize your lawn well in the fall and spring so your lawn is healthy and has a better chance of surviving summer patch lawn disease. 

• Aeration, aeration, aeration. You want to reduce compaction , reduce thatch, and improve your lawn’s drainage.

• Don’t water too often — you don’t want your lawn to be too wet.  Water less frequently, but for longer. When the roots have to dive deeper for moisture, your lawn develops a stronger, healthier root system. 

• Mow high. You’ve heard it here before, and for good reason. Keep your grass height between 3 and 5 inches and avoid mowing during wet weather. Mowing too short is like a welcome mat for this root-destroying fungus. It weakens the grass and makes it more vulnerable to diseases. 

• Water early in the day, before sunrise, so your lawn has time to fully dry before evening.
  
  
• Maintain a healthy lawn pH level — 6 or higher.

If these efforts don’t work, you might need to turn to a fungicide designed to treat summer patch disease.

Lingering Lawn Fungus?

If you have summer patch lawn disease or other lawn fungus problems every year, we can help prevent it with a lawn disease control product. 

But typically, we treat these summer lawn diseases when they pop up, if you don’t want to wait for them to clear up.

Read The Essential Guide to Lawn Care in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Be patient. It can take a month or longer to see results and takes multiple treatments.

Remember, lawn diseases like summer patch are caused by environmental conditions, so fixing those conditions is key to banishing the fungus.

Need Help with Lawn Diseases? Trust RainMaster

Pesky lawn diseases like summer patch attack your lawn in summer — just when you want to enjoy your yard the most. 

It’s a big pain, right? 

Help keep lawn fungus from creeping in by setting up your lawn for success, with lawn care services in Eau Claire, WI and Minneapolis that offer a proactive lawn care program that includes a custom nutrition plan and aeration for your lawn.

The roots will be nourished, the soil will be packed with nutrients and drain better, and your lawn will be thick and healthy, so lawn diseases will have a harder time taking hold.

Also, consider a regular irrigation maintenance program, to make sure your sprinkler system delivers the right amount of water at the right time so you're not encouraging lawn diseases.

Ready for a lawn care program to fake out the fungus? Request a quote today! We’ll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy your lawn and stop worrying about it. 

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