Lawn Disease Treatment & Control | SavATree Disease Services

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Lawn Disease Treatment

4.6 (5,198 reviews)

The advice was carefully explained. No pressure. Several options given to save money or have them do the work. The arborist who came out was on time and had a wealth of knowledge.

Joseph D.

They are the most courteous company I’ve dealt with. Very reliable. They always know how to properly treat the problem first time round.

Barbara S.

The arborist was exceptional. She was not only professional, but explained in great detail what needed to be done, in a simple direct manner.

Nellie S.

SavATree have been managing the health and appearance of my trees for longer than I can remember. Very easy to work with. I rely completely on their advice and recommendations.

Cecelia C.

Removed a diseased tree which was approximately 100 feet tall. Cleaned up beautifully. All plants surrounding were left in excellent condition. Nothing was damaged.

Robin A.

The arborists, tree and turf teams are always knowledgeable, professional and punctual. The quality of service is second to none.

Scott M.

No fuss, no mess. I should have had this done years ago. SavATree is an excellent example of how things should be done. Exceeded expectations in every way.

Jeff G.

We had significant storm damage to our 75yo locust tree this summer. SavATree expertly triaged and re-shaped. It's filling back in nicely and looks very healthy. They are artists!

Phil G.

Our entire HOA uses SavATree for lawn fertilization. After only one season, they have our lawns looking great.They listen closely to customer needs and are very responsive.

Ron L.

Lawn Disease Treatment Services: a Problem-Solving Enhancement to Your SavATree Lawn Care Program

Dead or dying spots on your lawn could indicate the presence of disease, and all turfgrass diseases are caused by fungus. High humidity, moisture, stress, soil conditions, and certain types of grass can combine to create favorable conditions for fungal disease to become active.

Fungal lawn diseases

Fungal lawn diseases fall into two main categories:

Leaf Diseases. Some fungal pathogens are localized in the blades of grass, with the more common leaf diseases being leaf spot, red thread, dollar spot, snow mold, and powdery mildew. These diseases may resolve themselves without significant damage to the turf. However, when conditions are favorable for disease development, serious damage can occur.
Patch Diseases. The term “patch disease” refers to any of a number of fungal diseases that infect the roots of turfgrass. Two of the most common patch diseases are summer patch and brown patch. Patch diseases can be difficult to diagnose and manage because the symptoms are often not visible until the roots have already been damaged – with symptoms normally appearing in June or July as a result of summer heat and reduced rain. Turf infested with a patch disease has the characteristic symptoms of crescent-shaped or circular patches of dead grass surrounding clumps of green grass (the resulting appearance called “frogeye”). Patch diseases are among the most destructive of all lawn diseases. Your lawn can appear perfectly healthy one day and then virtually overnight (with ideal weather conditions) large “patches” of your lawn are completely, and many times, destroyed. For that reason, if you live in an area prone to extreme weather conditions – or if you have had patch disease in the prior season – SavATree recommends preventive treatments in order to combat the disease before it emerges.

Accurate Diagnosis: The First Step in Successful Treatment

To prevent lasting turf damage, call in your arborist when you first spot signs of disease. They can perform a laboratory analysis, and visually inspect the blades and roots of the affected turf, to determine the specific cause of your lawn’s distress.

Control and Prevention: Fighting Lawn Disease on All Fronts

There are three conditions that combine to create the “perfect storm” for the emergence of lawn disease:

the presence of the fungal pathogen in your turf, and;
the type of grass that is inherently susceptible to the pathogen, and;
stress conditions in your turf that give the pathogen a welcoming environment to take hold – e.g., excess moisture, hot temperatures, unhealthy soil, weeds, improper mowing practices, and damaging insects.

Fungal pathogens can never be totally eradicated from the lawn; they will lay dormant in the thatch, in the soil, or in the grass plants just waiting for the right conditions to become active. Therefore, establishing and maintaining a healthy lawn is the best defense against disease.

Your SavATree specialist will create a holistic, multi-pronged treatment plan for your lawn disease:

Treat the Fungal Pathogen.

Though the existing damage to the grass cannot be un-done, a fungicide can stop the blight from spreading further. Informed by the results of the laboratory analysis and visual inspection of the turf, your arborist will recommend a well-timed treatment that will be most effective against the specific fungus in your turf. To keep the disease from returning, they will likely recommend a preventive disease program.

Overseed with Disease-Resistant Grass Varieties.

By spreading high-quality, disease-resistant grass seed onto your troubled lawn, you can establish a sustainably more disease-resistant turf. SavATree uses premium, university-developed grass seed blends that are naturally resistant to disease, insects, and weeds. [Learn more about SavATree Seeding Services.]

Treat Any Insect and Weed Problems.

The presence of damaging insects and grub worms, and invasive weeds like crabgrass, can weaken your turf and undermine the effectiveness of your disease treatment plan. Our lawn care consultants can identify and treat existing pest and weed infestations, and apply a preventative treatment. [Learn more about our Weed Control Treatments, and Insect & Grub Control Treatment.]

Aerate the Soil.

The compaction of the soil in your lawn can encourage fungal problems by impeding air and water movement and weakening your lawn’s root system. The process of core aeration removes soil cores from your lawn to help water, air and nutrients reach the roots that need them. [Learn more about Core Aeration Services.]

Fertilize.

In order to develop a healthy turf that is more competitive against disease, your treatment plan may also include a balance of specially formulated nutrients and slow-release fertilizers. [Learn more about our lawn fertilizer programs.]

Proper Cultural Practices.

To fortify the disease control treatments provided by SavATree, our lawn care specialist or arborist will provide you with suggestions for improving drainage, mowing practices, and irrigation settings on your property.

Common Lawn Diseases

Leaf Spot Disease, and occurs predominantly in the spring when there is a lot of succulent new growth that doesn’t have the chance to harden off. Treatment for leaf spot lawn disease may be required every 3–4 weeks to gain control.

Red Thread is a type of lawn fungus that can be a season-long problem, from March to November, and is most prevalent when the weather is damp or humid. It appears as irregular beige patches from a few inches to a few feet in diameter, with red, thread-like filaments among the grass blades. Cool-season grasses like red fescue, ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and bentgrass are most susceptible.

Dollar Spot is most common on bluegrass, but it also affects all cool-season turfgrasses. Conditions favoring dollar spot are warm days and cool-warm nights with high humidity or prolonged dew. This disease appears as small white or tan spots the size of a dollar coin, though the spots can also be up to six inches wide and sunken. Leaves have white or light-tan lesions with light reddish-brown margins. When early-morning dew covers the grass, white, cottony, mycelium can often be seen.

Snow Mold is a fungal disease that appears when snow melts in early spring. It’s a common occurrence on lawn turf in years when early winter snows cover an unfrozen ground or when ground conditions are unseasonably wet. Snow mold occurs in either the pink or white variety; in either case, symptoms first appear in the lawn as circular, straw-colored patches, which continue to enlarge for as long as the grass remains cold and wet.

Pictured above: Red Thread

Powdery Mildew is a grass fungus which appears as a white dust on the leaf blades. It can begin growing as soon as the grass starts to grow early in the spring. Damp, shady areas of your lawn are more susceptible to this type of lawn fungus.

Brown Patch preys on newly-planted, young grass. Symptoms of brown patch are often irregular, brownish-yellow patches ranging six inches to several feet across, often with a “smoke ring” border on the outer edge. Up close, the leaves show tan lesions with dark brown borders. However, the appearance of this disease can vary greatly, and can be mistaken for other types of lawn disease such as dollar spot. A lawn care specialist is the best resource for identifying it. Brown patch can develop rapidly – sometimes within 24 to 28 hours — when the weather is hot or very humid.

Summer Patch occurs most often in Kentucky Blue Grass (especially sodded lawns), but also can occur in many other types of grass. The symptoms are circular patches or rings, ranging 6 inches to 3 feet in diameter with sunken turf in the center. The outer edges of the patch are typically orange or bronze when the disease is active.