Read Thread lawn disease

They destroy lawns everyday. Learn how to protect and how to destroy them.

Have you ever had a brown patch with a reddish tinge on your lawn and wondered what it is? If it's not spray paint or your kid's paint ball gun, it's probably red thread lawn disease. Red thread is not the deadliest lawn disease, but you don't want to take it lightly. Severe cases of this disease can kill the grass completely. Red thread lawn disease is common in red fescue grass and perennial ryegrass. Bermuda, bent grass and Kentucky bluegrass are sometimes affected.

What does Red Thread look like?

The affected areas appear in irregularly-shaped patches of a reddish or pink complexion. It is difficult to identify red thread disease until the more advanced stages of disease development. This stage is when bright coral pink fungus mycelium reaches a length of 1/16" to 1/4" at the tip of the damaged, thin and wiry leaves.

This fungi spreads by moving mycelium or infected leaves to new areas. These fungi can also be transported by your lawn mower because the mycelium on grass is easily broken loose. The ideal development of red thread occurs between temperatures of 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do I prevent, or cure Red Thread?

Get out your fertilizer. Adding more nitrogen to your lawn usually reduces red thread disease. However, having a higher level of nitrogen can cause other disease damage such as leaf spot and brown patch. In most cases, a fungicide treatment is unnecessary, but wet weather can sometimes cause severe damage. In this situation, a fungicide would help reduce symptoms.