The Amazon Find That Makes Lawn Maintenance For Greener Grass Easier
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The dream of a healthy green lawn arguably requires ongoing work throughout the year, even when the grass is dormant. Another challenge arises if you see signs of possible lawn diseases, such as yellow or brown spots or rings in an otherwise green lawn. Sometimes these areas can indicate advanced fungal diseases, which may continue to grow and spread throughout your turf unless properly identified and treated. Depending on the situation, you might need the assistance of a commercial fungicide in your healthy grass arsenal. One such option is Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide, which may treat several types of fungi at once, and can readily be found on Amazon.
Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide contains active ingredient azoxystrobin, which the manufacturer notes is designed for treating more than 20 types of fungi commonly seen in home lawns. These include brown spot, rust, necrotic ring spot, and even powdery mildew on your grass, to name a few. In fact, azoxystrobin is considered a broad spectrum product and can easily be used on both cool and warm-season grasses alike.
Overall, the Scotts' fungicide product has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon based on customer reviews. Be aware that, as some of the customer reviews point out, you may not see full results in just one application. The need for reapplication can end up costing more if you have to buy more product, as other reviewers point out, but it may be necessary to fully eradicate the fungus you're trying to treat. This is a frustrating prospect to be sure, but know that there's no single treatment timeline that applies to all lawn fungi. Fungicides may still prevent these diseases from spreading to healthy turf, even if you don't see results in the affected areas of your lawn right away.
Timing and other important considerations with azoxystrobin fungicides
If you do decide to use this product, be sure to carefully follow all instructions and safety precautions. You will also need to invest in a spreader that's appropriate for your yard size, if you don't yet have one. According to details from the manufacturer, you can expect one 10-pound bag to cover up to 5,000 square feet of turf. Be aware that granular products such as Scotts DiseaseEx need to be fully watered after application so it can adequately reach the soil.
When using as a preventive tool, you'll also want to apply this azoxystrobin-containing fungicide in the late spring or early summer if you have cool-season turfgrass, such as Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue. On the other hand, you can apply azoxystrobin at any point in the spring or summer if you have warm-season grass like Bermuda or Zoysia. Additional applications are sometimes necessary after periods of heavy rains that may be conducive to fungal growth.
Finally, the Michigan State University Extension cautions against automatically turning to commercial fungicides without proper control measures set in place from the get-go. With this in mind, know that commercial fungicides aren't the only ways you can prevent fungal diseases in your turf going forward. Other strategies include mowing your turf to the correct height based on your grass type (usually between 2 and 4 inches, per the Utah State University Extension), avoiding overwatering your lawn, and using lawn fertilizers as needed depending on results from a soil test. You'll also want to take care to avoid overusing fungicides of any kind, as doing so can harm pollinators and beneficial insects, and may even lead to treatment-resistant fungi growth in the future.