Stripe Smut Control: How To Get Rid of Stripe Smut

This page is a general stripe smut control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of the turfgrass disease known as stripe smut. Follow this guide and use the recommended products; we guarantee 100% control of stripe smut.

Smut is a fungal disease that affects turfgrass and is characterized by dark or black stripes on your plants. These fungal diseases are frustrating and seem to spring up suddenly before disappearing mysteriously.

Owners of lawns affected by this fungus's growth often notice this more often during the spring or fall. Stripe smut-infected plants usually become obvious three or four years after the initial infections occur.

If your lawn has been affected by stripe smut disease, this guide can help. Follow our DIY smut treatment guide below, which our lawn care experts compiled. The guide will show you exactly how to get rid of stripe smut quickly and cost-effectively.

Identification

Before you can proceed with a treatment plan for stripe smut disease, you need to be sure that is the disease that is showing up on your plants. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods, which will be a waste of your time and money. You can identify what stripe smut looks like via the following characteristics and facts:

• When stripe smut infects a plant, it usually starts with the foliage developing lighter green or yellow stripes along the vein, then turning gray in more prolonged infections. Not long afterward, these streaks become black and display spore pustules.
• The longer the stripe smut stays within plants, the more it will cause the leaves to curl downward from the tip and die. 

Use the description and image above to help you identify smut on your lawn. If you are unsure if you have smut, contact us, and we will help you correctly identify the problem and suggest a treatment option.

Inspection

After properly identifying stripe smut on your plants, you should proceed with an inspection. During this phase, you will locate the areas where stripe smut appears and identify the conducive conditions that help it thrive.

Where to Inspect

Stripe smut appears most often in young lawns and new grass seedlings containing turf types such as Bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, fescues, and bluegrass. Other grass types are susceptible but are most often infested with this disease. 

What To Look For

Examine your lawn for areas where grass blades are discolored. Stripe smut often grows in patches, large swaths, or eventually covers the entire lawn. 

Treatment

Before using pesticides, ensure you have the proper safety equipment to prevent chemicals from coming into contact with your eyes or skin. 

Patch Pro is our go-to product for treating stripe smut disease on your lawn. It contains propiconazole, a solid active ingredient that effectively kills disease spores and pathogens. It is also cost-effective and easy to apply.

Step 1: Measure and Mix Patch Pro

To determine how much Patch Pro you need, you will need to measure the square footage of the target area. To find the square footage, measure the treatment area's length and width in feet, then multiply them together (length x width = square footage).

Apply 1 to 2 fl. oz. of Patch Pro per 1 gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. of turf. 

Fill your sprayer halfway with water and add the appropriate amount of Patch Pro based on your calculations. Fill the sprayer the rest of the way with water, close the sprayer lid, and agitate until well mixed. You are now ready to spray the Smut.

Step 2: Apply Patch Pro To Affected Areas

Apply Patch Pro to infected areas, spraying to wet but 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 stripe smut.

Apply once in the fall after the grass becomes dormant or in the early spring before the grass grows.

Prevention

Once the stripe smut has been removed from your lawn, keep it from returning by implementing regular lawn care maintenance.

• Proper and consistent mowing practices will also reduce the presence of smut, particularly loose stripe smut that affects the inflorescence.
• Water the lawn with 1.5 inches of water once a week. This will make a healthy and vigorous lawn less likely to get the disease.
• Aerate your lawn to help air, water, and nutrients move through the soil more efficiently, which reduces conditions for stripe smut to grow.
• You can apply Patch Pro preventatively as needed every 28 days or so to protect vulnerable plants.

Key Takeaways

What is Stripe Smut?

• Stripe smut is a fungal lawn disease characterized by green, yellow, or black streaks. 

How To Get Rid of Smut From Your Lawn

• Our top recommended fungicide for controlling stripe smut is Patch Pro. For best results, apply this product at the right time.

Preventing Smut Reinvasion

• Once your lawn has been treated, keep stripe smut from returning with a consistent lawn care and maintenance program (mowing, fertilizer, watering, etc.)