By DoMyOwn staff
Pythium Blight is a common fungal lawn disease that can infect all types of turfgrass but is most common in cool season lawns. Learn how to recognize pythium blight symptoms and effectively manage and prevent its spread with this video.
Pythium Blight is a fungal lawn disease that can damage all kinds of turf but is the most destructive to cool season turfs like ryegrass. This fast-acting blight can be controlled with quick action and the right pro-grade products.
Damp or greasy-looking patches are a key symptom of Pythium blight to keep an eye out for while mowing or watering your lawn. The blight may originate as smaller spots across the turf that grow larger and merge together into a larger area.
Grass that is affected by pythium blight will later turn yellow, then light brown in color as the blades die off from the blight.
This harmful blight can also be identified by whitish, cottony growth on the surface of your lawn among the blades of grass. These fuzzy patches usually occur on grassy areas that stay wet with dew in the mornings.
These symptoms can sometimes be confused for those of pink snow mold, a different fungal lawn disease. But pythium blight is a separate affliction that should be correctly identified before treatment begins. Treating your lawn for the wrong fungal disease can result in turf injury to otherwise healthy grass.
Pythium blight is most likely to strike your lawn during hot, humid weather. When temperatures are in the high 80s or 90s and the humidity level is above 90 percent, turfgrass in that area will be especially vulnerable to lawn diseases like this one.
Other factors that can encourage pythium blight growth include untended thatch on top of the turf or standing water on hard compacted soil that does not have sufficient drainage. Dethatching and aerating your lawn regularly can help eliminate these blight-boosting conditions.
Another way to avoid excess surface moisture that encourages fungal disease growth is to find the right watering schedule for your lawn. By watering early in the morning, your turf will have time to absorb the water it needs before the afternoon sun evaporates it. And by watering your lawn for longer periods and doing so less frequently, you can encourage a healthy root system beneath your turf.
Once it appears, pythium blight can spread rapidly in the right conditions. If you see signs of this lawn disease, we recommend acting as soon as possible to halt its growth.
Apply a fungicide labeled for pythium blight control immediately to start getting the disease under control.
Always wear the appropriate PPE when mixing or applying any chemical product. This includes chemical resistant gloves, long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes with socks.
While it’s best to act quickly, you should always be sure to confirm that the product you choose is labeled for use on your type of turf and for control of Pythium Blight.
Some fungicides can cause a built-up resistance to their effectiveness with repeated applications. Read the product label in full for any fungicide you use to make sure you understand any requirements for product rotation that may exist.
Apply the fungicide as directed but remember that a fungicide treatment used in conjunction with the lawn care methods described earlier can reduce the amount of fungicide you need to use and reduce the chance of a future occurrence of this lawn disease or other similar ones.
A preventative application of fungicide can also be made before signs of pythium blight are spotted. This type of precautionary treatment in conjunction with good lawn maintenance practices can help you keep your lawn free of disease and enjoyable year-round.
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