Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →

Grass Root Rot

...
grass image by green308 from Fotolia.com

Root rot is a common problem in many lawns, especially for summer-growing grasses in areas with cool evenings. Common types of root rot include "take-all" root rot and Pythium root rot. Improving the general conditions of lawn health can help prevent and treat root rot in grass.

Identification

Root rot problems in grass often show no signs until a lawn has had root rot for several months. Above ground, root rot yields yellowing, wilting, declining grass which persists to brown patches before the grass dies completely, leaving barren areas and patchy, brown grass.

Conditions

Conditions that can harbor or exacerbate a grass root problem include poor soil drainage, incorrect fertilization, overwatering and moderately cool temperatures. Lawn diseases are most likely to occur between 50 and 70 degrees F or in grass that is cut too short or mowed too frequently.

  • Root rot is a common problem in many lawns, especially for summer-growing grasses in areas with cool evenings.
  • Lawn diseases are most likely to occur between 50 and 70 degrees F or in grass that is cut too short or mowed too frequently.

Pythium Root Rot

Pythium root rot produces patches of thinning grass. The leaves of the grass generally do not yellow before they thin out. The organism that causes Pythium root rot is a fungus. Pythium root rot is most present in saturated lawns with poor drainage because the wetness allows the Pythium fungal spores to spread quickly.

Take-All Root Rot

Take-all root rot is a widely feared problem in the gardening community. Like Pythium root rot, Take-all root rot is caused by a fungus. Characterized by yellowing leaves on a lawn, a take-all root rot infection means almost certain death for many types of lawn grass, particularly St. Augustine grass.

  • Pythium root rot produces patches of thinning grass.
  • Pythium root rot is most present in saturated lawns with poor drainage because the wetness allows the Pythium fungal spores to spread quickly.

Treatment

Root rot is difficult to treat once it shows symptoms in above-ground grass. The best care for root rot is prevention of the disease by promoting good overall grass health. Lawn care techniques like mowing at the correct height, aerating the lawn for good drainage and proper watering can help prevent root rot. Fungicides, though questionably effective on existing take-all root rot disease, are applied as a preventative measure in areas with severe root rot problems.

Mowing

To prevent root rot using proper mowing techniques, determine the ideal growing height of your species of grass, and mow the lawn when the grass is one-third taller than the ideal leaf height.

Related Articles

How to Get Rid of Water Grass
How to Get Rid of Water Grass
Fungus on St. Augustine Grass
Fungus on St. Augustine Grass
What Insects Kill Grass?
What Insects Kill Grass?
The History of Kentucky Bluegrass
The History of Kentucky Bluegrass
How to Kill Sedge Grass
How to Kill Sedge Grass
Fungus on a Zoysia Lawn
Fungus on a Zoysia Lawn
How to Take Care of Carpet Grass
How to Take Care of Carpet Grass
Is it Bad to Rake a Yard If the Grass Is Wet?
Is it Bad to Rake a Yard If the Grass Is Wet?
My Grass Has White Spots
My Grass Has White Spots
How Often to Apply Miracle-Gro to Grass
How Often to Apply Miracle-Gro to Grass
Common Bermuda Grass Problems
Common Bermuda Grass Problems
Types of Grass in Fresno
Types of Grass in Fresno
The Correct pH for Grass
The Correct pH for Grass
Garden Guides
×