Disease Management in the Home Lawn

Numerous infectious diseases can occur on lawns in Kentucky. Unless diagnosed and managed, these diseases can sometimes cause extensive damage. A sound disease management program benefits your lawn in two ways: reduces the severity of lawn diseases improves the lawn\u27s recovery should a disease outbreak occur. This publication describes lawn management practices that can help control diseases of turfgrasses commonly used in home lawns -- Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass. You can control diseases of turfgrasses most effectively by using as many of the following lawn management practices as feasible. The first step in improving your lawn is to accurately diagnose the problem. Although diseases are sometimes responsible for poor turf quality, they are not the only cause. (They may not be involved at all.) You may need to consider some other possible causes of thinning or dead grass: improper fertilization, chemical injury, mower problems, dog or insect injury, localized dry spots, poor soil drainage, excessive thatch, and competition from other plants