Fescue lawns occasionally get a fungal infection called Brown Patch. It occurs when nighttime temperatures are above 65 degrees, and there is high humidity. Symptoms include browning patches or a thinning lawn. Blades of grass around the infected areas will be covered in orange, tan, or brown spots or bands called lesions. If the infection is not very heavy, the turf will usually recover once conditions are no longer favorable for the disease. In extreme cases, affected areas of the lawn can die.

The first step in controlling brown patch is to water your lawn in the morning, not in the evening. This way the turf will be drier overnight reducing the chance of infection. For chemical control, a fungicide such as Fertilome’s F-Stop or Bonide’s Infuse should be applied when conditions are favorable for disease development. For brown patch, treat when temperatures are above 65 degrees at night, and there is high humidity.

*Please read and follow all label instructions when applying chemicals.