Brown Patch Control: How To Get Rid of Brown Patch

Brown Patch is a common lawn disease and can become a widespread problem in both residential and commercial lawns. Brown Patch is caused by a fungus called Rhizoctonia solani and can infect many different cool and warm-season grasses.

Brown Patch appears in the form of spotting on the leaf blades which can bleed together to turn the leaf brown and circular areas of brown or dead grass outlined by a narrow, dark ring. Depending on the grass type, Brown Patch can affect the turf differently.

Brown Patch will affect cool-season grasses typically in late spring or during summer when temperatures are hot and humid. Warm season grasses can see brown patch around fall or during warm weather in winter months. This disease can very quickly spread without intervention.

If your lawn has Brown Patch, it can be eliminated by following the steps in this DIY guide which was put together by lawn care experts. Follow our directions carefully and you will be able to restore your lawn and eliminate Brown Patch.

Identification

It is important to closely examine your lawn to identify and make certain the damage is from Brown Patch. Your grass can get brown spots for a variety of reasons, such as from dog urine, drought, insects and more, but it may not be brown patch fungus.

Brown Patch fungus starts off in circular patches 8 to 24 inches in diameter and, over time, can blight the whole yard, turning it brown. To really be sure it's Brown Patch you need to get down on your hands and knees and look for lesions on the grass blade. These lesions appear as a bronze or copper band around the outside edge with a tan-colored interior.

If you are not entirely sure that you have Brown Patch, you can get in touch with us and we will confirm whether your fungus is Brown Patch.

Inspection

Where To Inspect

Walk through your yard and check your grass for Brown Patch, especially when conditions are damp. If a lawn is heavily fertilized or is regularly over-watered, it can be more susceptible to the disease.

What To Look For

The symptoms to look for are large irregularly shaped brown patches of grass with a dark border around the outer edge. Check for lesions on the grass blades that are discolored.

Treatment

Before using any pesticides, make sure you have on the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job to prevent chemicals from coming in contact with your eyes or skin. Gloves, safety goggles and long-sleeved clothing are a must.

Brown patch can be removed from your lawn with Patch Pro. Patch Pro contains the active ingredient propiconizole and is a systemic fungicide. This means that it penetrates the infected plant from the leaf down to the root and works for a longer period of time.

Step 1 - Measure & Mix Patch Pro

To determine how much Patch Pro you need, you will need to calculate the square footage of the target area. To do this, you will need to measure and multiply the length of your lawn times the width (length x width = square footage). Patch Pro is labeled to treat Brown Patch at a rate of 1 to 2 fl. oz. per gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. For example, 2,500 square feet of yard to treat you would need to mix 2.5 to 5 fl. oz. of Patch Pro in 2.5 gallons of water.

To mix, fill your selected sprayer halfway with with water, add the measured amount of Patch Pro, then pour in remaining half of water. Close the lid to sprayer tank and shake to ensure an even mixture. Once your solution has been mixed you can spray at a low-pressure.

Step 2 - Apply Patch Pro To Affected Areas

Apply the fungicide to infected areas spraying to wet (not to the point of runoff). The key is to focus on low lying areas of the yard that get a lot of shade as they are more susceptible to Brown Patch. You will also want to make sure to spray other vegetation around the infected area to prevent spores from spreading.

Patch Pro is a systemic fungicide and will be absorbed into the plants giving it a 30-90 day residual. Make sure to spray in the summer and early fall to prevent future outbreaks.

Prevention

Once the Brown Patch has been wiped out from your lawn, you must work to keep it from coming back by practicing organic control measures and routine maintenance. Keeping plants healthy by providing proper light, water and fertilizer will strengthen your lawn's ability to ward off a future fungus attack.

For spring fertilization we recommend using Solutions 15-5-10 Weed and Feed Fertilizer with Trimec, for summer use Solutions Pro Grow Summer Blend 19-4-10 Fertilizer, and for fall fertilizations Solutions 8-12-16 Fall Grow Fertilizer. You will need to use either a push spreader or hand spreader to broadcast the product. 

Reduce the amount of water put on the lawn. Brown Patch becomes a problem in the fall when temperatures are dropping. This condition causes excessive moisture and evening dew which is what allows Brown Patch to thrive.

Patch Pro can also be used as a preventative measure against Brown Patch during the conditions when they are more likely to infect lawns.

Key Takeaways

• Brown Patch is a lawn fungus that can ugly up your lawn and causes it to brown completely if you don't intervene.
• We recommend applying Patch Pro to both cure and/or prevent Brown Patch on your lawn.
• Reducing areas of moisture and routine lawn care maintenance is key to preventing Brown Patch from returning. You can also spray Patch Pro preventatively to keep the disease at bay during susceptible times.