# Do you have a Preventative fungus plan?



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

I'm curious if anyone regularly uses anti-fungus as preventative measure, and what you are using? Personally learned my lesson last year to not wait for signs of fungus. I've been rotating some common products such as Cleary's and Eagle, and have been spraying or using a granule such as Daconil Ultrex twice monthly.

Interested to see if you wait for visible damage or if you do anything preventative?


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I do a preventive routine. My issues are grey leaf spot in the summer and large patch in fall/winter.


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## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

For me its dollar spot. Never fails. If I skip or miss some scheduled sprays, I get it. Luckily its visible prior to fully damaging grass and easy to catch.


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## DFW St Aug (10 mo ago)

Yes, I'm hoping to avoid gray leaf spot this year. I applied a bag of Pillar G that I had on March 26, but have since decided to go with liquids, mostly because of price. I am going to start my liquid plan this week and follow through all season.

My rotation is going to be Azoxystrobin (1 app) and Chlorothalonil (2 apps) for the first 28 days followed by an app of Myclobutanil and 14 days later an app of Thiophanate-methyl. If I see any issues, I'll add more into the rotation.


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## Jbird95 (Jun 24, 2020)

I see a lot of conflicting data regarding TARR/Bermuda decline. Some suggest only applying in fall and early spring. Regardless, I will apply from spring to fall with poor results.


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## 11460wilder (9 mo ago)

i have a 8,000 ft TTTF lawn in Johnson County, KS, just outside Lawrence KS
i had a real problem with Brown Patch fungus last year
local county extension folks suggested I "hit it hard" in 2022-
signed up for :



extension agent thought 5 was one too much, but didnt say no !
hope this will stop it


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## DFW St Aug (10 mo ago)

11460wilder said:


> i have a 8,000 ft TTTF lawn in Johnson County, KS, just outside Lawrence KS
> i had a real problem with Brown Patch fungus last year
> local county extension folks suggested I "hit it hard" in 2022-
> signed up for :
> ...


Have you considered using liquid? It is much less expensive.


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## 11460wilder (9 mo ago)

no, but would !
i dont know anything about the chemicals
i wanted to go with this program because they send me a variety of fungicides
i dont have to think ! free shipping !

do you have a listing of similar liquid fungicides, when to apply, how much to apply ?
Thanks !


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## DFW St Aug (10 mo ago)

11460wilder said:


> no, but would !
> i dont know anything about the chemicals
> i wanted to go with this program because they send me a variety of fungicides
> i dont have to think ! free shipping !
> ...


If you search the active ingredients on places like domyown.com and other sites that show up in a google search you'll be able to find them. The larger the size, the less you are going to pay.

Just as one example: https://www.domyown.com/clearys-3336f-fungicide-p-1345.html

At 32 oz, you can apply at the 2 oz rate twice for a total of $63.98. The T-methyl in your plan is much more expensive just for a single app. If you are committed to using these for more than one season, it's possible to save even more money per 1000 sq ft each app.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

Austinite said:


> I'm curious if anyone regularly uses anti-fungus as preventative measure, and what you are using? Personally learned my lesson last year to not wait for signs of fungus. I've been rotating some common products such as Cleary's and Eagle, and have been spraying or using a granule such as Daconil Ultrex twice monthly.
> 
> Interested to see if you wait for visible damage or if you do anything preventative?


Preventative all the way here and everything I needed to know about fungicides (and fungus for that matter) I gleaned from (*you need to check out) the thread on Fungicides here on TLF!!!*

I really "stretch it" as far as frequency of applications (I.e, depending upon the active ingredient, the soonest I ever reapply is 21-days and 28 days is more typical for me)

MOST OF ALL I am careful to NEVER USE THE SAME FRAC category more than twice in a row - I am intensely fastidious about this.

I have also found that products containing "oxystrobin" give the lawn a real "boost" in overall vigor growth and color. So much so that I will typically time my application of the WONDERFUL product "Armada" for the weeks / month that the lawn is the most stressed. Even in the doggest days of summer, neighbors and visitors never fail to comment on the lawns appearance starting days and lasting weeks after I apply Armada!

Here is my 100% successful rotation schedule for last 2 or 3 years, depending upon how early in the Spring things heat and humidity up I typically strive to get my first app down right about now, to stay ahead of those "surprise nights" *when overnight temps and humidity % add up to the magical number of "150" for fungal outbreak!!!*

(ON MY PARTICULAR HILLSIDE, alls it takes is as few as one or two nights when overnight temps might be in the 70's and humidity in the 80's and boy oh boy you better hope you've had your preventative app down a couple days before or else, "Bam!" I once was in REACTionary mode! :shock: )

The asterisked notes are my own, from the year-to-year journal I keep (and live by! :lol: )

*Myclobutanil* - aka 'Eagle' (Group 3)
(Choose your product containing) - *azoxystrobin* (Group 11)**
TM 4.5 - *thiophanate-methyl* (Group 1)
*Armada* - Triadimefon 41.67% Trifloxystrobin 8.33% (Groups 3 & 11 Combined)***
TM 4.5 - *thiophanate-methyl* (Group 1)
(Choose your product containing) - *azoxystrobin* (Group 11)*
*Myclobutanil* - aka 'Eagle' (Group 3)

* = 2021 Note: due to cold April/May late start allowed me to SKIP Armada so, went from TM4.5 to Eagle
** = some green up / pep up from "-oxystrobin" content!
***= Significant green up / pep up from "-oxystrobin" content!!!

- Mefenoxam (Group 4) in case Pythium blight rears it's ugly head (+/or at new seed down)


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

TLF Fungicide Guide (Cool Season focus): https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4042


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## DFW St Aug (10 mo ago)

@440mag are you using the .6 oz/1000 rate for the Armada? I might consider adding this to my rotation. I am rotating azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, myclobutanil and thiophanate methyl.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

DFW St Aug said:


> @440mag are you using the .6 oz/1000 rate for the Armada? I might consider adding this to my rotation. I am rotating azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, myclobutanil and thiophanate methyl.


I will be most interested to hear your own impressions/ results!

Checking now …

My 2020 notes say I applied 2oz Armada per 4-gal tank (I calibrated my tank to discover 4 gals at my walking speed etc covers 2,000 sf) for a MID-range rate of 1oz per /1k sf and yet;

My 2018-19 notes show I applied 1.2oz Armada per 4 gal tank which would work out to .6oz /1m sf. being low label rate: https://www.domyown.com/msds/Armada_50_WDG_Fungicide_Label_2020.pdf

My journal is somewhat of a "rambling, diary-type" format so I need to go back and see what prompted the doubling of app., if I can … I.e., 2020 may have been "a summer from h*ll" as far as heat and humidity …

I don't have any Armada notes from last year (2021) because our April / May 2021 were so cold (we were still burning the wood furnace into May!) that my whole fung. app. program got such a late start that I dropped the Armada entirely from my 2021 rotation and went from TM4.5 to Eagle

Thing of it is my notes mention tremendous visually apparent "boost" of vigor and green, even in July and August, at both rates …

Followup to Edit: After skimming and scanning my rambling journal, I am crediting my going FROM label low rate of .6oz Armada / 1k sf TO 1.0 Oz Armada /1k sf to two things:

1) the TLF "Fungus" and "Fungicide" Guides, combined with a ton of research reading (NCSU, Purdue, etc.), increased my knowledge of the fungal diseases I am fighting in my area; and,

2) I got myself in trouble always aiming for the lowest label rates in other areas, particularly pre-emerges where SuburbanJungleLife opened my eyes to fact my lowest app rates of Prodiamine was the likley cause of my never ending goosegrass problem. That was right around 2018-19 and so it makes sense 2020 was year I started aiming for the "middle" of label app rates with everything around here, from fungicide to herbicide to pesticides.

3) Also fact I really "stretch" my sequential apps of Armada all the way out to the full 28-days (the expanse of hillsides and slopes I have to walk and spray works out to about 4 to 5 hours of carrying 4-gal.s of water mix on my back which it turns out, at 62yoa, when combined with primarily traversing across slopes, is a perfect scenario for premature knee failure (and most def torn meniscus in both knees, now :roll: )

What I really need are some young candidates for Infantry school who are looking to get some pre-basic conditioning in! :lol:


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## LawnNutNewbie (8 mo ago)

I'm following this topic as I ditched my lawn care service last summer due to persistent dollar spot problems over the years. My first stop last year after starting on my own was to the big box store and tried Bayer and Scott's disease control products, neither of which made an impact.

I then found DoMyOwn and purchased some 3336G, which finally seemed to stop the Dollar Spot.

This spring, I started a rotation of 3336G, Kabuto, and Pillar G, applied at 3 week intervals. All appeared to be going well until 2 days ago, after some heavy rain following weeks of no rain at all.

My Bermuda in the front yard has several patches of Dollar Spot. They appeared 5 days after I applied my Pillar G rotation. Pillar G is a Group 3/11, and I am wondering if my Dollar Spot is resistant to it? The big box products I tried to no avail last year were propiconazole (Group 3) and azoxystrobin (Group 11).

Has anyone here experienced fungicide resistance? Or is it more likely some other user error on my part? Also, I haven't been able to find many reviews of Kabuto. Has anyone had any experience with it? Any suggestions for other products I should try now that I am in curative mode instead of preventive mode? Thank you.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

LawnNutNewbie said:


> I'm following this topic as I ditched my lawn care service last summer due to persistent dollar spot problems over the years. My first stop last year after starting on my own was to the big box store and tried Bayer and Scott's disease control products, neither of which made an impact.
> 
> I then found DoMyOwn and purchased some 3336G, which finally seemed to stop the Dollar Spot.
> 
> ...


My experience with resistant fungi is limited to witnessing others either unawares or unabashed about violating the rule of rotation and not using the same product - or different products from within the same FRAC - more than twice in a row (rule of thumb). The former can be saddening and the latter downright infuriating, to me … (some people are the reason the rest of us have a hard time accessing nice things :evil:

You're apparently / definitely in line with different FRAC codes seeing as to how your FRAc's are Group 1, Group 7 and Groups 3 & 11 respectively.

I have zero experience with Kabuto but, it struck me how much the label emphasizes "_calibrated applicators_" and _Uniform coverage is essential to get rid of the disease_" And I read a lot of labels from what others - outside of TLF - tell me so, there is that possibility of not as uniform of app as you'd like?

My go to when I sense I may be getting behind the curve is Armada which is also Groups 3 + 11.

That's all I got but, I hope it helps!

EDIT the above: note that I am a "cooly" and not a "warmy" so, chances are I'm not the one to be giving advice to a Bermuda enjoyer (I spend all my time freaking out about the possibility of finding Bermuda anywhere on my hills! :lol: )

Nonetheless, Best o' Success!

EDIT # 2: Don't know if this applies to you but, the tendency to "go low" on label amounts has gotten me into trouble with Brown Patch and I dare say dollar spot is to be even less trifled with than BP (esp in a warm season turf stand?)… if you go the Armada route, don't "skimp"! :thumbup:



440mag said:


> ….
> 2) I got myself in trouble always aiming for the lowest label rates in other areas, particularly pre-emerges where SuburbanJungleLife opened my eyes to fact my lowest app rates of Prodiamine was the likley cause of my never ending goosegrass problem. That was right around 2018-19 and so it makes sense 2020 was year I started aiming for the "middle" of label app rates with everything around here, from fungicide to herbicide to pesticides. …


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## LawnNutNewbie (8 mo ago)

440mag said:


> My experience with resistant fungi is limited to witnessing others either unawares or unabashed about violating the rule of rotation and not using the same product - or different products from within the same FRAC - more than twice in a row (rule of thumb). The former can be saddening and the latter downright infuriating, to me … (some people are the reason the rest of us have a hard time accessing nice things :evil:
> 
> You're apparently / definitely in line with different FRAC codes seeing as to how your FRAc's are Group 1, Group 7 and Groups 3 & 11 respectively.
> 
> ...





440mag said:


> ….
> 2) I got myself in trouble always aiming for the lowest label rates in other areas, particularly pre-emerges where SuburbanJungleLife opened my eyes to fact my lowest app rates of Prodiamine was the likley cause of my never ending goosegrass problem. That was right around 2018-19 and so it makes sense 2020 was year I started aiming for the "middle" of label app rates with everything around here, from fungicide to herbicide to pesticides. …


[/quote]

Thank you for the advice. I, too, have been using the minimum application rates, so that might be part of my problem, as well. Based on your experience and other reviews I have read, Armada looks like a good product. It looks like a backpack sprayer would be the only way a typical homeowner could apply this, since it requires agitation to stay in suspension? It doesn't look like you can create a solution that would work with a hose-end sprayer.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

That is correct; I have been using Armada as "the middle point" of my annual / seasonal preventative program for more than several years now and IME it is NOT conducive (or iirc even advised via the label) to attempt using a hose end sprayer to apply it.

Either a backpack, hand pump or tank sprayer should suffice and as far as agitation:

IME Armada is on my list of products that FOAM CONSIDERABLY!!!

So much so that I have adopted a system that works for me and involves using / repurposing a bunch of clear 2-1/2 gal jugs that we originally received "LastiSeal" polyurethane masonry sealer in (another faaaaaaabulous product that simply exceeds - by miles! - silica- +/or siloxane- based masonry sealers in every way!!!! Alas, that will be another thread some day.)

I use anywhere from 3 to 8 jugs and what I do is fill half each jug with about a gal of water, add my label rate of Armada granules then use the "jet" nozzle on my hose end sprayer to fill the jug the rest of the way (or as far as the foam will allow me). I then shake the heck out of each jug and will let the jugs sit anywhere from an hour to overnight. This reduces both a ton of any undisolved granules AND foaming after I pour the premix into my 4-gal sprayer and then add the remaining 2 gal.s using a hose and if foaming occurs water poured slowly from a bucket.

I know there are foam 'inhibitor' additives; however; since I do the pre-mix to increase the granules dissolving anyway I choose not use any "de-foaming" agents.

Armada rocks!!!!!


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## DFW St Aug (10 mo ago)

LawnNutNewbie said:


> I'm following this topic as I ditched my lawn care service last summer due to persistent dollar spot problems over the years. My first stop last year after starting on my own was to the big box store and tried Bayer and Scott's disease control products, neither of which made an impact.
> 
> I then found DoMyOwn and purchased some 3336G, which finally seemed to stop the Dollar Spot.
> 
> ...


If you are OK with off label use, Chlorothalonil is a contact fungicide that will knock down most problems.

You can find a list of treatments for turf diseases in this link, with various options rated from 1-4 +:

https://turfpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/turfgrass-diseases/


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