There's A Fungus Among Us..... Sorry...

First let me start by apologizing for the title. But honestly, how can I blog about lawn fungus and not put that ever-so-clever, overused, play on words in here somewhere? It can't be done... at least I'm not capable of it. I have issues.

Anyway we're seeing some lawn fungi out there and would like to make you aware of them since we can help.

Melt Out is a fungus we see a lot of this time of year. To the untrained eye it looks like a dry patch and is often over watered because the home owner misidentifies the problem. Melt Out has a dry, straw like look to it and sometimes looks like the mower is spreading through the lawn. It's not however, it just appears that way.  Check out our fact sheet for more info and photos.


Pythium blight is another fungus that thrives in the heat. This fungus can be devastating to turf and can spread throughout a lawn in as little as twenty four hours in the right conditions. It first appears as small, sunken, irregularly shaped, purplish, spots 1"- 4" in diameter. Leaves within the patches will eventually become orange or grayish and matted in appearance. Check out our fact sheet for more info. But if you think you might have this disease call us right away 1-800-LAWNCARE.


Curvularia blight is another fungus that looks similar to melt out but is typically only seen in patches of turf that are fully exposed to sunlight and/or turf next to sidewalks and driveways.

There are a handful of other fungi that we see but in reality the treatment is usually the same:
1. Mow at the proper height of 2.5" - 3.5".
2. Water regularly but do no over water the affected areas.
3. Keep thatch to a minimum, but do not power rake, we can help. A liquid de-thatch will help.
4. A fungicide application will probably be necessary.
5. Switching you lawn program from a traditional to an organic program will really help too. Organic fertilizer tends to balance the PH in the soil and help grass resist fungus.

If you're thinking you may have a fungus, call us right away. We can have a tech look at your lawn quickly and assess the problem. 1-800-LAWNCARE or www.livingwaterlawncare.com.