New Turf Threats to Watch for in 2026

How you feed, trim and water your yard can assist it resist fungal illness like dollar area and brown area.

Avoid lawn illness by keeping healthy turfgrass. Maintaining a healthy, vigorously growing yard is the best way to prevent a severe illness outbreak in turfgrass.

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If any of these aspects are missing or in excess, the lawn might become stressed out and more prone to disease. For a disease to occur, all 3 sides of the "illness triangle" should be present (Fig. 1). Even if a disease-causing pathogen is present, infection will not occur unless the environment (i.e., temperature level, amount of water, etc) is conducive to disease advancement and vulnerable turf is offered.

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The disease triangle. All components should be present for illness to occur. Credit: UC IPM Many typical illness are active only under specific ecological conditions and will impact the yard just for a brief time. When the weather condition becomes more favorable to growth of the turfgrass, the lawn will frequently recover on its own if appropriate cultural practices are followed.

Although we can't manage the weather, selecting the best yard and excellent cultural practices are secrets to reducing illness. Fungicides are hardly ever required for lawns when the ideal yard is planted and kept properly. The cause of lawn damage is frequently tough to recognize, and diseases aren't always the main cause.

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Diseases tend to begin as small patches or spots of dying grasses that top time. If the damage is unexpected, extensive, and extreme, other pests or issues such as bugs, pathogens, weeds, or ecological stresssuch as excessive or too little moisture or fertilizermay be adding to the observed signs.

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Watering problems are the most typical cause of discolored yards. Repairing broken sprinklers and conducting "catch can tests" to make sure even water coverage may be all that is needed to improve the health and look of a lawn. (See the Watering section.) No quantity of fungicide will control an issue that arises from poor watering practices.

Such illness often are diagnosed by identifying symptoms of the disease and signs of the causal agent. Normal symptoms and signs include leaf areas; white, powdery growth; thin, open lawn; and little to large areas of discolored or passing away yard. Noticeable parts of the pathogen (called signs)such as whitish, cottony growth or small, difficult, dormant structures (sclerotia)are extremely useful in the recognition process.

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The most common diseases occurring in home yards in California are noted below. Dollar area, triggered by Sclerotinia homeocarpa, in a lawn.

Ali Harivandi: Sclerotinia homeocarpa, Lanzia sp., Moellerodiscus sp.: bermudagrass, yearly bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass, Seaside paspalum, zoysiagrass: small, circular spots from 15 inches in size; spots might combine to form big, irregular locations; leaves appear watersoaked then brown, frequently showing a reddish band across the leaf; fine, white cobwebby threads seen in morning: moderate temperature levels (6080F); excess wetness or water tension; fog; thatch; survives in soil as difficult, dark structures (sclerotia): fertilize sufficiently; lower thatch; water proper length of time to a depth of 46 inches but do not extend interval too long; maintain air blood circulation; garden compost top dressings can suppress disease: if present in previous years, fungicide may be helpful; apply in early spring or fall before symptoms happen Fairy ring brown field mushrooms, Agaricus cupreobrunneus, fruiting in a circle in a field.

: all lawn grasses: a dark green band of grass establishes in a circle (4 inches as much as 30 feet) or semicircle in moist turf; mushrooms might or may not exist; a location of brown, dying grass may occur just behind the dark green band; a 2nd ring of passing away turf may appear inside the circle; weeds commonly attack: soils high in thatch or undecomposed raw material including lignin: apply appropriate nitrogen; aerate soil for better water penetration, water heavily in holes for several days; verticut if more than 1/2 inch of thatch accumulates; rake mushrooms to enhance appearance of turf; to remove, remove turf and root zone including white, cottony mass to a depth of 12 inches and 2 feet beyond outer edge of the ring; refill with clean soil and reseed or resod: fungicides available, however control has been unpredictable Circular areas triggered by Fusarium blight in yearly bluegrass.