Imagine this: your once-vibrant green lawn is suddenly dotted with strange brown patches or fuzzy white spots. It feels like your hard work is disappearing overnight! Lawn fungus can turn a dream yard into a frustrating mess very quickly. You want healthy grass, but staring at a shelf full of fungicide bottles with confusing names can feel overwhelming.
Choosing the right product is tough. Do you need a preventative spray or a treatment for an active outbreak? What’s the difference between systemic and contact fungicides? These questions stop many homeowners from taking action, letting the fungus spread further. Ignoring the problem only makes the fix more expensive and difficult later on.
Don’t worry! This guide cuts through the confusion. We will break down exactly what lawn fungicides do, how to spot different fungus problems, and which product fits your specific lawn’s needs. By the end of this post, you will feel confident choosing the best defense for your turf.
Top Lawn Fungicide Recommendations
- Use Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide on home lawns to prevent disease before it appears and control disease at the first sign of symptoms
- Controls 26 listed lawn diseases, including brown patch, stem & stripe rust, red thread, powdery mildew, necrotic ring spot, and pink patch
- This fungicide for lawns starts working within 24 hours of application, and continues to control diseases up to 4 weeks
- For best results, begin applications of this lawn care treatment prior to disease symptoms, or when conditions are favorable for disease
- One 10 lb. bag of Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide 10 lb. bag treats up to 5,000 sq. ft.
- FUNGICIDE: Fungus Control for lawns cures and prevents listed lawn diseases
- 30 DAY PROTECTION: Protects against lawn diseases for up to a month
- DISEASE CONTROL: Fungicide controls Red Threat, Brown Patch, Dollar Spot, Rust, and other listed diseases
- RAINPROOF PROTECTION: Systemic Fungicide is absorbed by grass and will not wash off
- Can be used on all lawn types
- DUAL-ACTION FORMULA: Controls major lawn diseases and fungus, plus kills listed lawn-damaging insects on contact
- RAINPROOF: Rainproof in hours – can’t be washed off by rain
- PREVENTS DISEASE: Start treating when grass begins to green up in the spring; for best results, treat every two weeks
- QUICKFLIP HOSE-END SPRAYER: Attaches easily to your garden hose and activates at the flip of a switch
- PROVEN BROAD-SPECTRUM FUNGUS PREVENTION: Gunner 14.3 MEC contains 14.3% propiconazole; the same active ingredient as Banner Maxx, the fungicide golf, landscape, and nursery pros trust for proven protection against more than 20 plant fungi.
- AN ADVANCED FORMULA FOR EASY MIXING: The MEC in Gunner 14.3 MEC makes a difference. MEC, or microemulsion concentrate, formulations are made with extremely small particles resulting in mixing ease and greater product stability. Once mixed in the sprayer, Gunner 14.3 MEC won’t separate and settle meaning you won’t have to mix again and again. Our MEC formulation is also tank-mix compatible with many other fungicides making it easy to customize your best-fit fungus control solution.
- PREDICTABLE CONTROL EVEN WHEN THE WEATHER ISN’T: When unpredictable weather strikes, Gunner 14.3 MEC delivers control you can count on. Once sprays have dried, it is resistant to washing away with rain or irrigation – keeping your foliar treatment right where you need it, on the foliage. When treating for soil-borne fungus, we suggest watering in after application. Refer to the product label for complete application directions.
- CONTROL YOU SEE, NOT SMELL: Some fungus control products leave unwanted scents behind. Gunner 14.3 MEC mixes into a low-odor solution so results are all you’ll notice after application.
- FAST-ACTING AND LONG-LASTING: Gunner 14.3 MEC enters the plant quickly via root uptake or stem absorption to deliver fast fungus protection that lasts up to 28 days. Find application instructions and intervals per target fungus in the product label.
- Azoxystrobin 0.31%
- Golf courses, lawns and landscape areas around residential, institutional, public, commercial and industrial buildings, parks, recreational areas and athletic fields.
- Don't let brown spots or mildew block your path to a beautiful yard; Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide is a fast-acting formula that stops and prevents 26 common lawn-blemishing diseases
- PREVENTS AND CONTROLS: This lawn fungus treatment is preventative when used on lawns to control brown spots and rings before they appear, and curative when applied on lawns showing signs of disease
- CURES 26 LAWN DISEASE TYPES: Offers broad spectrum disease prevention and control against Brown Patch, Stem and Stripe Rust, Red Thread, Powdery Mildew, Necrotic Ring Spot, Summer Patch, Yellow Patch and more listed diseases
- FAST ACTING: Starts working in 24 hours of treatment; the systemic fungicide formula controls common broad spectrum diseases for up to 4 weeks
- USE WITH CONFIDENCE: Apply this lawn fungus control with a Scotts spreader at a uniform coverage; a 10 lb. bag can treat up to 5,000 sq. ft.; people and pets may re-enter treated area after application
- Use Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide on home lawns to prevent disease before it appears and control disease at the first sign of symptoms
- Controls 26 listed lawn diseases, including brown patch, stem & stripe rust, red thread, powdery mildew, necrotic ring spot, and pink patch
- This fungicide for lawns starts working within 24 hours of application, and continues to control diseases up to 4 weeks
- For best results, begin applications of this lawn care treatment prior to disease symptoms, or when conditions are favorable for disease
- One 10 lb. bag of Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide 10 lb. bag treats up to 5,000 sq. ft.
The Lawn Defender’s Guide: Choosing the Right Lawn Fungicide
Lawn diseases can turn your beautiful green carpet brown and patchy fast. A good lawn fungicide is your best defense. This guide helps you pick the perfect product to keep your grass healthy and vibrant.
Key Features to Look For
When shopping for lawn fungicide, look for these important features:
- Systemic vs. Contact: Contact fungicides sit on the surface and kill fungus when it touches them. Systemic fungicides move inside the plant to kill the disease from within. Systemic types often offer longer protection.
- Broad Spectrum: A broad-spectrum fungicide fights many different types of common lawn fungi, like dollar spot, brown patch, and rust. This gives you better overall protection.
- Curative and Preventative Action: The best products work both ways. They prevent new infections and stop existing infections from spreading further.
- Ease of Application: Check how you apply it. Some liquids mix easily in a sprayer. Granular products spread evenly over the lawn.
Important Ingredients and Materials
The active ingredients determine how well the fungicide works. Read the label carefully.
Common Active Ingredients
- Triazoles (e.g., propiconazole): These are strong systemic fungicides often used for tough diseases.
- Strobilurins (e.g., azoxystrobin): These offer excellent long-lasting protection and are often broad-spectrum.
- Dicarboximides: These are usually contact fungicides good for specific surface diseases.
Formulation Matters: Fungicides come in liquids (EC or SC) or dry granules (G). Liquids mix with water and spray evenly. Granules spread easily but need water to activate them and move the ingredients into the soil or grass blades.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Not all fungicides perform the same way. Quality depends on a few things:
What Makes It Better
- Rainfastness: A high-quality fungicide sticks to the grass blades quickly after application. This means light rain won’t wash your treatment away.
- Residual Activity: This is how long the product keeps working after you apply it. Longer residual activity means fewer trips applying treatments.
- Proper Concentration: A high-quality product has the right amount of active ingredient needed to control the disease effectively based on label instructions.
What Lowers the Quality
- Fungicide Resistance: If you use the exact same active ingredient repeatedly, the fungus can build resistance. Mix up your treatments using different chemical groups to prevent this.
- Improper Mixing/Application: Applying too little product won’t work. Applying too much wastes money and might harm your grass. Always follow the directions exactly.
User Experience and Use Cases
How you use the fungicide impacts your success. Think about your lawn type and the time of year.
When to Apply
- Preventative Use: Apply the fungicide before you see signs of disease, especially when weather conditions favor fungus growth (warm, humid weather). This is often the best approach.
- Curative Use: If you see spots, apply immediately using the recommended curative rate. You might need a second application sooner than if you were preventing the disease.
Application Scenarios
If you have a large yard, granular products might save time when used with a broadcast spreader. For small, targeted areas or tough spots, a liquid sprayer gives you more control. Always wear gloves and long sleeves when handling these chemicals for safety.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lawn Fungicides
Q: How quickly does lawn fungicide work?
A: Contact fungicides start working almost immediately on the surface. Systemic fungicides take a few hours to a few days to be absorbed by the grass roots or blades to start controlling the fungus inside.
Q: Can I use lawn fungicide if my dog is outside?
A: No. Keep pets and people off the lawn until the product has completely dried. Check the product label for the specific re-entry time, which is usually a few hours.
Q: Do I need to water the lawn after applying granular fungicide?
A: Yes, watering is very important for granular products. You must water lightly right after application. This washes the granules off the grass blades and into the soil where the active ingredients can start working.
Q: What is the difference between a fungicide and fertilizer?
A: Fertilizer feeds your grass to help it grow strong. Fungicide kills or stops the growth of disease-causing fungi. They do different jobs.
Q: How long does one application of fungicide last?
A: This varies widely. Preventative treatments might last 2 to 4 weeks. Strong systemic treatments can sometimes last 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the product and how much it rains.
Q: Can I mix fungicide with weed killer?
A: Generally, it is not recommended unless the product label specifically says you can mix them. Mixing chemicals can cause them to cancel each other out or harm your lawn.
Q: What is ‘Dollar Spot’ disease?
A: Dollar spot is a very common lawn disease that creates small, silver-dollar-sized patches of dead or straw-colored grass. Many broad-spectrum fungicides treat it.
Q: Should I apply fungicide before or after I mow?
A: It is usually best to apply fungicide 1 to 2 days after mowing. This allows the fungicide time to stick to the grass blades before the mower blades might knock it off.
Q: Are organic lawn fungicides available?
A: Yes, some natural options use ingredients like beneficial bacteria or oils. These often require more frequent applications than synthetic chemical fungicides.
Q: When is the best time of year to start fungicide treatment?
A: The best time is early spring, just before the weather gets consistently warm and humid. This sets up a preventative barrier before the fungus wakes up.