Loathsome Leaf Spot

Many diseases can threaten the health of your lawn, and one of the most common diseases that creeps in during late summer and early fall is Leaf Spot Disease. It produces ugly blackish-brown spots on leaves and grass that, if left untreated, can destroy a lawn in a matter of weeks.

What is Leaf Spot Disease?

Leaf Spot Disease is a common fungal disease that mainly affects trees and shrubs, but it also can be damaging to turfgrasses. The disease reveals itself through small, circular, brownish-black spots that form on leaves and blades are sometimes surrounded by a yellowish halo. As the disease progresses, the center of the spot becomes yellow with a black border. A range of fungi are responsible for Leaf Spot Disease, which can affect all types of turfgrasses. It is particularly prevalent, however, in warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. Signs of Leaf Spot Disease begin to show up in late summer and early fall. If left uncontrolled, grass will wilt, yellow and die.

What Does Leaf Spot Disease Look Like?

Leaf Spot Disease causes ugly dark spots to form on many types of plants including blades of grass. These spots can range in diameter from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. As the disease progresses, the spots can merge, causing leaves and grass to turn yellow or brown and eventually die. In severe cases, the entire lawn can be covered with bare patches of soil. 

What Causes Leaf Spot Disease?

Leaf Spot Disease is caused by a fungal infection, specifically from the Drechslera spp. and Bipolaris spp. Spores thrive in warm and wet conditions, making them particularly prevalent in Georgia during the summer months. The fungus can develop also during wet spring seasons with lots of cloud cover and no sunshine. Rainy seasons interrupt mowing schedules, so the fungus will thrive in patches of thick thatch where there is also poor soil drainage. The spots will appear at a later stage of the disease.

How Does Leaf Spot Disease Spread?

Leaf Spot Disease is usually spread by wind blowing the spores to healthy areas of the lawn and over-watering which carries spores through runoff. Mowing the infected grass and spreading the clippings to healthy grass, is another way this fungus travels. Whenever infected leaves come into contact with healthy leaves, the fungus can transfer to the healthy leaves, spreading the disease. In addition, the fungus can remain dormant in infected plant debris during dry seasons allowing it to spread to new plants when conditions are right in the future.

How Can Leaf Spot Disease Be Prevented?

Preventing Leaf Spot Disease is always better than trying to cure it. Here are some steps you can take to prevent the disease from occurring in your lawn:

Proper lawn care practices: Regularly mow your lawn to the recommended height for your grass type, and avoid “scalping.” Ensure that your lawn receives the proper amount of water and nutrients, and aerate the soil to improve drainage

Avoid over-fertilizing: Over-fertilization can lead to the development of Leaf Spot Disease. Follow the recommended fertilization schedule for your grass type, and do not apply fertilizer during the summer months. Contact Simply Green Lawn Care for scheduled fertilizer applications.

Improve air circulation: Ensure that your lawn receives adequate air circulation by trimming back trees and shrubs and avoiding planting too close to one another. Aerating the soil will improve circulation and promote healthier and strong grass root systems.

Choose disease-resistant grass: Select grass types that are resistant to Leaf Spot Disease, such as fescue and centipede grass.

Avoid watering at night: Water your lawn in the early morning to allow the leaves to dry before nighttime. This will reduce the likelihood of fungal growth.

How Is Leaf Spot Disease Treated?

If your lawn is already overtaken by Leaf Spot Disease, there are several steps you can take to treat it. Applying fungicide to the affected areas can kill off the fungus. Simply Green Lawn Care Plus technicians can help with treatment applications. 

Removing infected plant debris is recommended to prevent the disease from creeping onto healthy grass. 

Improving lawn care practices is recommended to improve the health of your landscape and keep it free of disease-causing fungi. 

Simply Green is Here to Help!

Simply Green Lawn Care Plus is dedicated to educating Georgia homeowners on the best practices for creating and maintaining a healthy lawn. Visit our services page for current programs available to help your landscape thrive. Contact us to schedule your service today.