Causes of Lawn Fungus & What Are The Home Remedies For Lawn Fungus Treatment?

Your precious lawn is like a carpet that you can see out of your window. It's the first thing that greets you when you look outside. This makes it very important to keep your lawn healthy, clean, and green all year round. Lawn fungus may attack it when the weather turns sour. So, what causes these fungal attacks and what are their remedies? Let's find out.

Causes: Lawn fungus is caused by tiny organisms like fungi and bacteria. These organisms survive on the dead grass that remains hidden in the soil. Lawn fungus grows in wet areas where the grass remains wet for long hours. They also grow when the lawn remains wet for many days due to excessive rains. Humid weather conditions also increase the growth of lawn fungus.

Some common problems caused by lawn fungus are brown spots, circular patches, and dead patches. Homeowners with lawn fungus problems must treat it with proper care. Otherwise, it may spread fast and make the lawn look ugly. 

Treatment: Thatching, raking, and aeration are the basic lawn fungus treatments.

 

1. Thatching is done with a pitch fork, which pulls out the dead grass. 

2. Raking or scarifying spreads new grass on the dry, dead patches. 

3. Aeration is also done to remove moisture from under the soil. 

The best time to dethatch your grass is during the morning. The lawn must be watered after aeration. If the problem persists, use fungicides to get rid of brown spots. However, homeowners with dogs, cats, and small children should not use a fungicide for treating lawn fungus. These fungicides have chemicals which may prove dangerous to children and pets.

Commercially available fungicides usually contain chemicals like thiophanate-methyl, propiconazole, fenarimol, mancozeb, thiophanate-copper, and chlorothalonil, which kills the fungal spores. They should be applied either in the late summer or early fall. If applied early, they prevent the growth of fungi in the lawn. 

Another natural remedy for lawn fungus is pouring hot water. Pouring 3 to 4 gallons of hot water in your lawn can kill the fungal spores. However, you must repeat this procedure once or twice a month. But keep in mind that this procedure is suitable only for warm climates. In colder climates, hot water will freeze when poured. So it's better to use other remedies. 

Home remedies include sprinkling cinnamon, baking soda, and vinegar on the affected area. You can also apply baking soda on the affected area. However, this process may take a longer time. Repeat the process till the lawn becomes green again. Alternatively, you can mix one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of baking soda, and sprinkle it on the infected areas. Do this twice a week, and you'll notice the lawn becoming healthy.

Conclusion: Lawn fungus can be a nuisance to homeowners, especially when it spreads fast. But it can be prevented by proper care and by following simple home remedies.