The 7 Best Fungicides for Lawns – How To Keep Fungus Out of Your Yard

Finding Best fungicide for lawn is not easy without knowing mode of action and type of fungicide.

Major groups of fungi are saprophytic so it is not easy to define their mode of action.

Some obligate(only live on host) species of fungus are also highly active and infect a large number of plants both in the field or garden.

If you are a regular ornamental plant grower or keen about kitchen gardening you should know symptoms of fungus. The fungus has a very specific mode of action and symptoms.

Some fungus symptoms can be observed easily and others need specific tests to classify.

Mechanism of action is specified towards every specie however you can identify by some general symptoms.

Fungicide	Best For	Active Ingredient	Price
Daconil Ultrex Turf Care	Best Overall	Chlorothalonil	Check Price
Fertilome F-Stop Lawn Fungicide	Cheap in Price	Myclobutanil	Check Price
Syngenta Banner Maxx	Multi Purpose	Propiconazole	Check Price
Growers Trust Powdery Mildew Killer	Non Toxic - Specific for Mildew	Plant Extracts	Check Price
Prime Source Propiconazole	Easy to use	Propiconazole	Check Price
Organic Neem Bliss	Organic and Value for Money	Azadirachtin	Check Price
Aliette WDG AG Fungicide	Quick in action	Aluminum Tris	Check Price

What kind of Fungicides best for lawns?

There is no specific recommendation for the selection of fungicide. Fungicide should be used after diagnosing disease in the plant. Sometimes it is even difficult to identify either it is a fungal or bacterial disease. There are two types of fungicides.

Contact Fungicides

Systemic Fungicides

Common Lawn Fungus

There are some common fungi associated with lawns. These fungi are mostly invaders of grass and ornamental plants. Here are some fungus of lawns

Brown patch fungus of grass

Simple and easy to visible symptoms of this disease is the appearance of brown patches on the lawn. If you see patches in your garden.fungus can be the issue. Here are the reasons why fungus can invade.

• Overwatering or lack of water

• Excess of fertilizer or low fertilizer supply

• Environmental conditions like temperature and humidity

Symptoms

• The major symptom is the appearance of patches which can be in two different colours like in brown or yellowish

• The manifestation of fungus can take place in wet,slimy-looking or darkened areas.

• Stunting and chlorosis in these areas can be observed.

Always appearance of patches is not about fungus. However, if all the above symptoms are appearing than it is a good chance of fungus. However, you should identify it or diagnose it from a plant pathologist.

Here are some recommendations and control methods for fungus when you observe symptoms.

Fertilize

Fertilize lawn according to recommendations. Excessive use of fertilizers is also harmful so apply as desired. It is better to use organic fertilizer for the lawn. Most of us think that excess nitrogen can make their lawn greenish. That is a short period solution but it can be harmful later.

Watering

Every grass type has own water requirements. Lawn grasses need water but overwatering can make them susceptible for fungus.

Dethatching with a rake is also good for lawns.

Apply Fungicides

Fungicides are highly recommended if you want to control fungus quickly and effectively. As a list of fungicides made by lawndesire can be helpful for you. Pick the best one from the list and see magic.

Powdery Mildew

The name is indicating disease. Powdery mildew is actually a symptom associated with fungus. There is some closely related fungus known as powdery mildew fungus. So fungus affecting hibiscus may not be the same effecting phlox.

That is not important powdery mildew will always appear on leaves, it can also infect stems and fruits or flowers. That is a three-way mechanism, first of all, it will turn into yellow or brown. Next leaves or stem will show powdery mass. Finally, it will fell down from the plants.

Reasons for powdery mildew

• High water conditions favour powdery mildew in lawns.

• Othe Environmental factors like humidity and temperature

Prevention or controlling powdery mildew

Plant spacing is more important. Good aeration conditions between plants will improve the growth of plants. Spacing and aeration keep the plant dry and free from disease.

There are some powdery mildew fungicides available in the market or select best from below list. Some natural fungicides like neem oil and other plant extracts also work against powdery mildew.

Black Spot

Black spot is a major fungus disease in lawns and associated with roses specifically. Disease invade through foliage and appear on upper leaves. First, these spots appear as yellowish or purple-black and finally black. In severe conditions, leaves will fall down.

Controlling and prevention

That mostly appears when you water plants for a long time, usually more than 8 hours standing water in lawn. So control the excess of water on the lawn.

This fungus overwinters on debris and infected leaves so remove them from the field. There are different chemical or plant fungicides available in the market.

Gray Mold

All fungus is favoured by an excess of water. This one is also enhanced by high rainfall and humid conditions. It appears in the form of water-soaked spots which later become fuzzy. A grey mould will appear on leaves.

Remove plant debris like infected leaves. Keep lawn clean and proper circulation of air to avoid. Spray with fungicides available in the market.

Top 7 Best Fungicide for Lawn

Daconil Ultrex Turf Care Fungicide

Daconil is the best fungicide for lawns. The shiny feature of this fungicide is that it controls most of the lawn disease. It is a multi-purpose fungicide. It is best to control both turf or ornamental plant disease.

The list is a bit long but some important like fairways, golf course trees, greens, ornamental turf grasses sod farms and lawns are the places where fungus works perfectly.

Fungicide can controll more than 14 diseases but here is some common one.

• Brown patch 
• Leaf spot
• Dollar spot
• Grey leaf spot
• Melting
• Powdery mildew
• Black spot
  

Daconil has a contact mode of action.

According to recent studies, Contact fungicides work quickly as compared to systemic fungicides. It is a multi-site fungicide and the mode of action will make the resistant plants in the future against the pathogen. It has to stick surfactant for unsurpassed protection and long term sticking ability. Heavy rains and splashing can not remove it.

Fertilome F-Stop Lawn and Garden Fungicide

Fertilome brought this best product for control of most of the lawn and fruit disease. Active ingredient myclobutanil works against fungus and has the ability to eradicate the disease in days.

It can be used for berries, nuts, shrubs, vegetables, ornamental plants, and lawns.while major diseases controlled by this fungicide are listed below.

• Brown spot
• Black spot
• Powdery mildew
• Patch scab and rusts
• Dollar spot and brown spot
• Melting out and summer patch
  

This fungicide is prepared for forecast control even. In a favourable environment, we should use this fungicide as a forecast to control the disease.

Precautions

• If it rains before the product has dried, re-apply.
• Do not apply if temperature increase above 90F
• Apply early in the morning or evening
  

Syngenta Banner Maxx II 128oz- Propiconazole Fungicide

Specially made for lawns and turf grasses. It is a broad-spectrum fungicide that controls famous fungus disease in lawn or turf. It has the ability to control fungal diseases on flower plants.

Mode of action makes this fungicide special from all other ones on the list. Its controls in the broad spectrum method. Here is a three-step phenomenon

• Enter through root system or surface stem
•  it prevents fungal cell growth by inhibiting sterol biosynthesis
• It is resistant to wash off and active ingredient takes some days to uproot disease from lawn
  

Growers Trust Powdery Mildew Killer Non-Toxic

This product is mostly used in the field but the function and mode of action are the same.

It can control all powdery mildew disease-causing pathogens in lawns. This product added to the list due to its nontoxic usage.The claim to use groundbreaking technologies to produce this fungicide.

With an auxiliary blockade of protection against powdery mildew, this fungicide has two-way control against the pathogen.

• Prevention
• Cure
  

It retards germ tube growth, spore germination and destroys pathogen cells. The mode of action is very specific. Chemicals will imbalance the presence of k+. This will slow down mycelium proliferation and growth.

Powdery mildew killer is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. It is derived from plant extracts and nonburning or nontoxic effects on the skin.

Prime Source Propiconazole 14.3 Pint Select Fungicide

The major problem with fungus is overwintering. If you control fungus in your lawn it will overwinter for next season and infects again your field with more virulent growth.

Best chemical prime source propiconazole developed to overcome this issue. This chemical will kill and harm fungus present in the debris.

It is equally beneficial for turf and ornamental plants. The active ingredient is propiconazole which works in a two-way direction like prevention and cure. If used as forecast it will control fungus spread in early stages so it will not move further. This liquid formulation guarantees to deliver excellent residual control with low use rates

It is best to use chemicals in the landscape, ornamental plants, commercial lawns, nurseries and residential lawns. Following diseases can be controlled with it effectively.

Disease	Pathogen
Dollar Spot	Sclerotinia homoeocarpa
Brown Patch	Rhizoctonia solani
Summer patch	Magnaporthe poae
Powdery mildew	Erysiphe graminis
Gray leafspot	Pyricularia grisea
Zoysia patch	Rhizoctonia solani

Organic Neem Bliss 100% Pure Cold Pressed Neem Seed Oil

That is the second organic fungicide in our list against all fungicides which are extract repellent. Plantonix’s Neem Bliss claimed that oil extracted from the famous neem forests of India and 100% pure. Cold process extraction is the process of extracting oil from the seeds of neem. The active ingredient is azadirachtin.

Neem Bliss is completely safe to handle, biodegradable and will not harm pets, humans, beneficial insects or bacteria within the soil

This fungicide is tested and used by hundreds of buyers. The good thing about neem oil is that it made according to IPM requirements. It is non-toxic and non-burning for your skin. It is multi-use can work against insects in your garden. Good neem oil should be a safe product for garden or lawn owner evert time.

Aliette WDG AG Fungicide 5 Pounds

This fungicide is not for the control of typical diseases in your lawn. Aliette is best for the control of Phytophthora and pythium in your garden. Aliette can also be used for the control of fire blight and powdery mildew disease.

Two major control hacks associated with this fungicide. The first one is the control of pythium and the second one control of powdery mildew from roses.

Aliette WDG fungicide is systemic and may be used in a seasonal program for the control of Pythium diseases in turf. One thing keeps in mind that never use it with copper-based fungicides.

How Fungus Invade in Lawn Plants

There is a specific method of invasion or mode of action associated with fungus. Here is how the fungus mode of the action takes place.

Entry of Fungus

The pathogen enters into plants through different wounds that are the most common way of entry. There are some other methods like humidity and temperature conditions that also make the plant susceptible to fungus

Invading behavior

The fungus invades by analyzing and competing with already established plant defence mechanisms. Plants have a specific defence mechanism which is shown to the pathogen in the form of hypersensitive mechanism.

When fungus invades the plant, plants give a signal to the nucleus and they activate defence mechanisms against fungus. Fungus detects specific behaviour of plant defence mechanisms and bypasses if the plant is susceptible or fungus is virulent.

Infection proceeding

After fungus invaded next about infection spreading. The fungus has special spores which called conidia in most of them. The fungus spread these spores on plants and disturb their mechanism. A tube-like structure appears and built within these plants. Plants will show Hypersensitive response initially but later bypassed by fungus.

After infection setup fungus moves towards the next plants. The mode of spread is very rapid and controlled measurements should be taken as soon as possible.

Differentiate from other pathogens

First of all, know the difference in symptoms and signs of disease on plants. Here is a simple hack to know with an example:

The sign in the presence of the pathogen in physical form like fungus bodies should be visible on the plant. For example in the case of powdery mildew of cucurbits you see powder on plant leaves that is actually fungus spore. So you are seeing fungus itself, not fungus symptoms. That is a clear sign and no second way to talk about any other pathogen

Signs make the disease more clear and there is no confusion about the disease.

Symptoms are more confusing as compared to signs. There should be a visionary mind to know about some basic symptoms of every pathogen. You should know like curling, mottling and color change are mostly associated with viruses. Canker, blast, and lesions mostly associated with bacteria. Spore production and anthraquinones mostly associated with fungus.

Here are different signs associated with fungus.

• Stem rust
• Leaf rust
• Powdery mildew
  

Symptoms 

• Brown spots in the most case like in septoria
• Chlorosis is most of the lawn plants
• Damping-off and root symptoms
  

The life cycle of the fungus

The life cycle of the fungus is interesting and aid in controlling. Unlike bacterial or viral spread cycles, the fungus has a designed cycle by nature.

The fungus starts its life cycle as a sexual spore. This spore has the ability to travel thousands of miles to find a favourable environment and host plant. A famous spore associated with wheat can travel miles.

Fungus spores can be further categorized later into sexual and asexual spores on a specific pattern.

This asexual spore will find parent formation and attach to it.when asexual mycelium will find sexual one. Mating will start which is fusion. When these both mycelium will fuse a new dikaryotic mycelium will produce. This will produce tons of fruiting bodies.

In meiosis, the fungus can produce sexual spores to continue the fungal cycle.

Source

>>>>>> Read more about Best fertilizers for hibiscus

FAQ’S

What is the best Fungicide for Brown Patch?

• Heritage G Fungicide
• Daconil Ultrex Turf Care Fungicide
• Fertilome F-Stop Lawn and Garden Fungicide
• Prime Source Propiconazole

Should you water the lawn after Fungicides?

There are two types of fungicides. First one is contact fungicide and another one is systemic fungicides. Systemic fungicides get absorbed easily. Contact fungicides are mostly in the form of a powder of granules. They can be washed off if you apply water after application.

Can you put down Fungicides and Fertilizer at the same time?

There is no side effect of using both. You should first diagnose either your lawn is distrubed by low fertilizer availability or disease. Most of the nutrients deficiency make lawn susceptible to many diseases. Apply fertilizer if your lawn need.

Can you apply Fungicides to wet grass?

Fungus mostly attacks in wet conditions. Most of the fungus grow in wet and humid environment. You can apply fungicide according to recommendations. You should know about the residual level and active ingredient before applying.

Final Words

This guide helps you to find the best fungicide for the lawn. Market and online stores are lacking information that we need before purchase. Drop your question in comments.