# Please help ... is this fungus? melting out?



## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

Please help me identify what in the world is happening to this area of my backyard. It did this last year as well, but I thought it was due to a Spring seeding and no fungus control. However, this year this grass was seeded back in the Fall and I just put down Scotts DiseaseEx 2 weeks ago.


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

Saw your reply on the other thread. This is discouraging given you applied Disease Ex already.


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

Yessir, and I hit that area with a mixture of Neem oil concentrate and Immunox about 1.5 months ago when I mistook a dog pee spot for fungus. I can confirm that these pictures are in the vicinity of the dog pee area, but there is no possible way our tiny chihuahua did this type of damage.

Given that we have had a pretty mild Spring with low temps and decent moisture, should I really be seeing fungus yet?


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Cut the lawn long grass holds moisture longer that leads to fungus. Immunox already had worn off reapply or disease ex at cure rate. Long grass under a tree is usually a problem area for fungus because with the shade it never dries out holds moisture


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

In my opinion, it is dollar spot. Scotts DiseaseEx won't help. Treat with propiconazole. In some cases, you should follow up with a shot of nitrogen a week later.

Dollar spot pressure has been high. Check out this guide. You're in the high range right now, and you were there a week or two ago as well. Type in your zip and click on the dollar spot tab on the right.

https://gddtracker.msu.edu/


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

Thanks all. I will give it some medicine and let's see what happens.


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## ScottW (Sep 16, 2019)

I do see a few lesions that look maybe like dollar spot (the characteristic hourglass shape) but it also looks a bit like LS/MO. Both of these can spread in cool (50s-60s) wet conditions. As pointed out above, DiseasEx (azoxy) isn't really effective on DS, but it's supposed to work well against LS. Could be an issue of timing of the app and when it got watered in relative to when the damage occurred. But I would definitely spray an app of propiconazole. I sprayed it last week after seeing just a few DS lesions down deep in the turf close to the soil.

In past years my lawn has had DS and LS around this time, tends to get BP in warmer weather, and some GLS one year that freaked me out thinking it was PB. For peace of mind you may want products on hand to treat all of these. I tend to go with propiconazole as the first fungicide app or two then rotate to azoxy and/or t-methyl as it warms up. Also added Xzemplar last year for another MOA to rotate. Planning to add 3 oz/M of TG ProPhite with every fungicide app this year.


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

Great info Scott. I actually have some Bioadvanced granular (propiconazole) on-hand, so I am going to spread that later today and water it in. 4 weeks after that I will rotate in another treatment. I think I have more disease Ex on-hand so maybe that for now.


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

greenthumb518 said:


> I can confirm that these pictures are in the vicinity of the dog pee area, but there is no possible way our tiny chihuahua did this type of damage.


Funny you mention dogs. We have two large dogs and I thought for a second that maybe with all the rain it was dogs spots diluted enough not to kill it.



greenthumb518 said:


> Great info Scott. I actually have some Bioadvanced granular (propiconazole) on-hand, so I am going to spread that later today and water it in. 4 weeks after that I will rotate in another treatment. I think I have more disease Ex on-hand so maybe that for now.


Agree!! I have some of the Bioadvanced here as well. Will spray this afternoon

Thanks all. I would have put my eggs in the Disease Ex basket.


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

I threw down the Bioadvanced yesterday...will send some update pics in a few days.


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

Mine was the hose-end spray variety. Sprayed it yesterday. Plan to do so every 2-3 weeks. Dropped the disease ex the other day as well. Hasn't rained but I don't see much reason to rush it if it doesn't control this anyway.


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

Best of luck to ya!


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

Was able to get a better picture of it today. Looks like leaf spot to my untrained eye.


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

UPDATE:

Things aren't looking good....in fact, they are looking much worse. 14 days ago I applied granular Propiconazole at curative rate. 3 days ago I applied granular Azoxystrobin at curative rate. Pictures below are from today. I am seeing similar patches throughout the yard. Any ideas?


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

Oh damn. I wonder what's causing that??!


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

After lots of research and photo comparisons....and crawling around in my front and back yards and inspecting grass blades....I think I am dealing either with *Brown Patch* or *Leaf Spot & Melting Out*. Both should have been at least partially helped with the Propi and Azoxi I put down. I am going to mow one setting lower today to try to dry the grass out a bit. We have some cooler weather in the 70-80s for a week or so. I will wait another few days after I mow and then hit it with some liquid chlorothalonil (Bonide Fung-onil) and then just hope for the best.

I will upload some followup pics in a couple of weeks.


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## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

I think that's just the nature of tttf?

Lots of topics pop up about this with tttf lawns.


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## QTip (Sep 2, 2021)

Melting out

Happened to me with KBG

Nothing you can do except rehab it

I used a spike roller to aerate and dethatch, mow low, overseed and top dress

Your height of cut is quite high IMO - if you have KBG it likes to be mowed low and often

In my experience melting out happens due to the grass canopy being shaded and not being able to photosynthesize - water gets trapped and with humidity it is a perfect storm

Good luck!


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

greenthumb518 said:


> After lots of research and photo comparisons....and crawling around in my front and back yards and inspecting grass blades....I think I am dealing either with *Brown Patch* or *Leaf Spot & Melting Out*. Both should have been at least partially helped with the Propi and Azoxi I put down. I am going to mow one setting lower today to try to dry the grass out a bit. We have some cooler weather in the 70-80s for a week or so. I will wait another few days after I mow and then hit it with some liquid chlorothalonil (Bonide Fung-onil) and then just hope for the best.
> 
> I will upload some followup pics in a couple of weeks.


Has to be deflating knowing you tried to prevent it. Keep after it, cut low, and don't give up. I know light nitrogen applications can help in some situations. may want to research that as well.


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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

greenthumb518 said:


> After lots of research and photo comparisons....and crawling around in my front and back yards and inspecting grass blades....I think I am dealing either with *Brown Patch* or *Leaf Spot & Melting Out*. Both should have been at least partially helped with the Propi and Azoxi I put down. I am going to mow one setting lower today to try to dry the grass out a bit. We have some cooler weather in the 70-80s for a week or so. I will wait another few days after I mow and then hit it with some liquid chlorothalonil (Bonide Fung-onil) and then just hope for the best.
> 
> I will upload some followup pics in a couple of weeks.


I generally advise folks to go liquid on any active fungus problem. I think granular is fine as a preventative, but once you've got fungus, I'm a big believer in getting the product right onto the leaves.


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## greenthumb518 (Nov 4, 2021)

@QTip I have the TTTF + KBG mix from GCI Turf "Cool Blue". I am cutting it usually around the 3-3.25" mark. I am seeing much less issues in my front yard and its a bit of Cool Blue overseeded into a previous reno of Pennington Rebels Southern TTTF blend. The front does get at least 4 hours more direct sun than the back, so I don't know if that is the issue or not. I have a sneaking suspicion that a combo of poor drainage and compaction is the culprit in the backyard. It was a straight up forest with zero grass 2 years ago when we moved in.

I'm wondering what I should plan on in the Fall. I am thinking tons of core aeration and maybe bring in some sand to try to help with drainage. Should I keep overseeding with a TTTF + KBG mix? Maybe with so much shade int he backyard, should I try JG Black Beauty Dense Shade mix?

Seriously this fungus has me considering calling a local company to start spraying my yard. I don't want to do it, but it's getting difficult to figure out the culprit and potential remedies.


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## jimmythegreek (Aug 7, 2020)

I agree liquid is the only good way to treat an issue. Granular is ok for prevention


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