Brown patch in tall fescue (and up close) in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Warm temperatures and rainfall have caused the disease to become active.

Turf diseases and the use of fungicides is a broad topic, so let?EUR??,,????'???s focus on one common problem?EUR??,,????'??+brown patch?EUR??,,????'??+and one common cool season turfgrass?EUR??,,????'??+tall fescue. Brown patch is a turf disease that tends to become active when a dry spell of weather is followed by a period of warm and wet weather.

Cultural Practices

Before getting out the fungicides, let?EUR??,,????'???s talk cultural practices that can keep brown patch from developing and spreading. Summer management includes reducing the amount of time the fescue is wet and keeping the soil from being excessively damp.

Irrigation

Irrigate tall fescue deeply, but infrequently. Apply enough water to wet the root zone, then reapply when the turf begins to wilt.1 With this in mind, when you water is important. Early morning irrigation, between midnight and 6 a.m., is recommended, as it washes the large droplets of dew and guttation from the foliage. This allows the turf to dry quicker after sunrise. (Note: guttation water, the second component of dew, is exuded out the plant through the hydathodes?EUR??,,????'??+the small opening normally at the tip of the leaf. This moisture is high in organic compounds (amino acids) that are food for fungi.²

Irrigation before or after sunrise will extend leaf wetness and speed brown patch development.

Mowing

Tall fescue should be mowed to a height of 3 to 3.5 inches during summer, which helps keep the canopy open and dry and slow the spread of brown patch.

Shade

In shady areas, prune the shrubs and trees to let more sun on the turf. Again, this will help reduce brown patch growth, while improving the overall health of the turf. Note: If the turf still gets too much shade, a shade-tolerant turfgrass (hard fescue or strong creeping red fescue) is a better choice than tall fescue.

Drainage

Poor soil drainage will only encourage brown patch, so install drainage tile, reduce soil compaction, and/or modify the soil profile to increase drainage. If drainage is still poor, forget the turf and install other landscape features.

?EUR??,,????'??With a broad spectrum product ?EUR??,,????'??? you are pretty much sure of getting everything that could be a serious problem in a lawn care situation,?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Rich Hanrahan, a product development manager for fungicides.

Fertilization

Excessive nitrogen levels of nitrogen fertilizer enhance the severity of brown patch. High nitrogen levels produce soft, lush leaf tissue that is easily invaded by the brown patch fungus. To help slow the spread of brown patch nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied to tall fescue after May 1. If small amounts of nitrogen (>0.25 lb N/1000ft.2) are applied during the summer to maintain color, then a preventative fungicide program is recommended.

Brown Patch Fungicides

A preventative fungicide program should be undertaken where brown patch has been a problem in the past. Products containing the active ingredient thiophanate-methyl will provide good control, but must be reapplied every 14 days when the disease is active.¹