The Best Disease Control for Lawns

As we enter into the fall season, you may begin to notice an increase in disease outbreaks in your lawn. Temperatures will start to cool down—especially at night or in shady areas—so soil conditions will also change. Disease can appear in a variety of ways including irregular patches of brown grass, circular dead spots, thinning or wilting grass, mold and more. With that being said, there are many different types of turfgrass diseases that can be hard to properly diagnose.

Your lawn can also be prone to certain diseases that other lawn’s aren’t susceptible to depending on your grass type and geographic location. For example, cool season lawns located in more northern regions of the United States may get more snow mold than warm season lawns located in southern regions of the country. This can sometimes make finding the proper lawn disease treatment product difficult. The experts at Sod University are here to discuss some of the best disease control solutions that prevent and treat a wide range of common lawn disease.

Heritage G. Granular Fungicide

Manufactured by Syngenta®, Heritage G is a broad-spectrum systemic fungicide that prevents and treats over 20 different turfgrass diseases for up to 28 days. As a systemic fungicide, Heritage G is absorbed into the plant’s system to effectively kill off the invading disease from the inside out without damaging the plant’s tissue. Its active ingredient, Azoxystrobin, once absorbed into the plant, works by “choking” out the fungi and keeping it from germinating or halting the growth process. Refer to the product label for application instructions and a full list of controlled diseases or learn more here.

Armada 50 WDG

Armada 50 WDG is widely recognized for its ability to fight off difficult to control turfgrass diseases. This granular fungicide can be watered in with a garden hose for overall effectiveness and controls a wide variety of the most common turfgrass diseases for 21–28 days. Although Armada 50 WDG contains both preventative and curative properties, it’s best used as a preventative fungicide before disease takes hold on your lawn. With active ingredients Trifloxystrobin 8.33 percent and Tradimefon 41.67 percent, Armada 50 WDG offers control over dollar spot, brown patch, leaf spot, anthracnose, summer patch, gray leaf spot, rapid blight, red thread, pink patch, rust, southern blight, stripe smut, fusarium patch, pink snow mold, powdery mildew, downy mildew, take-all patch and necrotic ring spot. 

Refer to the product label for proper application instructions.

Fame Granular Fungicide

Also known for its superior performance and overall effectiveness, Fame Granular Fungicide offers both preventative and curative properties over an abundance of turfgrass diseases in home lawns. Fame is similar to Heritage with its classification as a FRAC group 11 fungicide. However, Heritage’s active ingredient is Azoxystrobin whereas Fame’s active ingredient is Fluoxastrobin. Both function to stop disease from spreading by interfering with the fungi’s respiratory system. As another systemic fungicide, the active ingredient is rapidly absorbed into the plant’s system and translocated throughout the xylem of the plants. Learn more about Fame Granular Fungicide here or refer to the product label for proper application instructions.

Spectracide Immunox Fungus Plus Insect Control

While insect and lawn disease control may seem like a complicated and involved task, Spectracide Immunox Fungus Plus Insect Control makes keeping your grass healthy year-round simple. Spectracide Immunox Fungus Plus Insect Control protects your lawn from common lawn diseases and kills insects upon contact. This easy to use product attaches to the end of your garden hose and becomes rainproof within hours of application so it doesn’t wash away with rain. The formula performs best when applied at the beginning of spring or signs of insect damage or disease are first noticed. Learn more here or refer to the product label for a full list of application instructions.

Whether you have a newly installed lawn or a lawn that’s been established for several years, fall is a tough time for disease control. Be sure to read all product labels thoroughly before application and check out a few related Sod University articles to learn more: Beware of Late Fall Fungus in Warm Season Lawns, Lawn Disease Control Strategies and How to Detect and Treat Fungus in Newly Laid Sod.