What is Large Patch Fungus?

Metro Orlando FL | Kissimmee - Sanford - Leesburg

Large patch fungus is a fungal disease often found in lawns in Florida. It can make your turf look scalped and unhealthy, but it doesn’t kill the whole plant – just the blade part of the grass, not the root. It will eventually pass on its own, but before that happens, it will spread to as much of your lawn as it can.

That’s why it’s important to address fungal growth in your lawn as soon as you spot it. That way, you can keep the disease’s spread under control, preserving your lawn (as well as your neighbors’) from this fungus. The lawn care experts at Heron Home & Outdoor can diagnose your lawn and help you build a personalized plan to treat it.

Causes of Large Patch Fungus

This fungus is most comfortable in cooler temperatures (below 80°F) which means that it commonly appears during fall and spring in Florida. It also loves a moist, shady environment, so it’s less likely to appear in areas of your yard that get direct sunlight. Aside from those factors, there’s not much that you can do to prevent this fungus from appearing.

Large patch fungus can linger in the soil without a major breakout for years, so even if you can’t see it, it could still be lurking in the shadows.

Large Patch Fungus Signs and Symptoms

There are a few signs that you might be dealing with large patch fungus. Below, we’ll list the most obvious.

• Your yard’s turf is turning yellow or brown. As mentioned above, this fungus rots the grass’s blade and discolors it.
• There are circular brownish patches in your lawn. Large patch fungus starts out small and grows in a circular pattern outward from the center, leaving decaying grass in the middle as it gets bigger. The outer edges of these patches are darker in color.
• Grass from the affected area pulls up easily and has a foul smell. This fungus affects the grass blade only, not the root; that means the blade will pull away from the rest of the plant easily. The rot from the fungus makes the affected leaf stink.

Other Common Florida Lawn Diseases

If you notice all or even most of those symptoms, you might be dealing with large patch fungus – or something else entirely. Large patch fungus shares a number of symptoms with similar lawn ailments.

• Brown patch fungus looks very similar to large patch fungus, spreads in a similar pattern, and requires similar treatment. For your purposes, the distinction isn’t that important – but your lawn care professional still needs to find out which it is to make a treatment plan.
• Dollar spot fungus generally damages your lawn in smaller patches (hence the name, which references a dollar coin.) It looks very similar to large patch fungus in its early growth stages.
• Sod webworms are lawn moth larvae; they eat away at your grass and cause similar yellow or brown patches which grow as they mature. If your problem turns out to be sod webworms, you’ll need pest control services instead!

How to Treat for Large Patch Fungus

Like with any lawn disease, the best management is prevention. Since large patch fungus likes a cool, moist environment, you may want to change your watering habits so your lawn doesn’t stay wet for a long time. If you suspect part of your lawn has large patch fungus, or any other fungal disease, avoid mowing that area; the clippings could distribute the fungus to other areas of the lawn. Fungicide is also most effective as a preventative treatment.

Of course, there’s only so much you can do to stop fungal growth, and even the most diligent lawn care plan can fail. So if you notice fungal growth on your lawn despite your best efforts, count on the team at Heron Home & Outdoor to help you out.

Call Heron Home & Outdoor for Lawn Fungus Treatment

The Heron Home & Outdoor team has decades of experience diagnosing and treating lawn diseases of all kinds, including large patch fungus.

Give us a call to learn more or to get a free quote!