Lawn disease profiles
Salt damage
Is Fido to Blame?
Salts in dog urine can kill grass. Damage is easily confused with disease. Look for dead spots with greener grass around the edges. Female dogs and dry, infertile soil make problems worse. To reduce damage, flush with water immediately after dogs urinate or train them to go elsewhere.
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When you see disease, it's too late.
By the time you see lawn diseases, it's really too late to do much about it -- at least in the short term.
Lawn diseases are caused by pathogens, usually fungi. The fungi are almost always around, living off dead and decaying material in the soil. You just don't notice them because the grass usually fends them off.
But when the environmental conditions are right -- usually plenty of moisture and the fungi's favorite temperature -- and your grass is stressed, the scale is tipped in favor of the pathogen.
The result? Check out pictures of the common lawn diseases in New York.
Preventing disease problems is the best strategy, because once the symptoms are visible chemical rescue treatments aren't recommended for home lawns.
Prevention means maintaining a healthy turf through proper mowing, watering and fertilizing. In particular:
- Keep leaves dry. If you water, do it early in the morning so that the leaves dry quickly. Avoid watering at night.
- Avoid overfertilizing. Too much fertilizer can stress plants and leave them vulnerable to diseases.
- Plant disease-resistant grasses. Choose the right grass for the site.
- Improve drainage. Low spots are particularly prone to disease.
- Increase air flow. Lawn diseases are more likely where stagnant air collects. Clear underbrush to improve air circulation.
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Website design: Craig Cramer cdc25@cornell.edu
Mention of trade names and commercial products is for educational purposes; no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or Cornell University is implied. Pesticide recommendations are for informational purposes only and manufacturers' recommendations change. Read the manufacturers' instructions carefully before use. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University assumes no responsibility for the use of any pesticide or chemicals. Some of the links provided are not maintained by Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University are not responsible for information on these websites. They are included for information purposes only and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or Cornell University is implied. Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.
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