Red Thread Lawn Disease Q & A

You’re looking at your beautiful green lawn, when you notice a patch of color that you didn’t expect to see—pink! Looking around, you see several more patches with thready-looking grass. Your yard’s been overtaken by red thread, a fungus that can turn your lawn into a patchy mess.

What Does It Look Like?

Red thread is easy to spot. Patches are usually around 4-8 inches in diameter, and the grass looks bleached, tan, reddish, or pink, with a thread-like appearance. (Some people also say that the grass looks like antlers.)

Why Do I Have Red Thread?

This fungus shows up in grass that:

• May have a nutritional imbalance, such as too little nitrogen, calcium, or lime.
• Is sitting in cool conditions (around 50-70 degrees) in the spring and perhaps the fall. Outbreaks will happen in the spring and maybe the early summer, depending how cold it is. (In the Pittsburgh area, it’s not usual to see red thread in June, since our overnight temperatures may remain cool for some time.)

How Can I Prevent Red Thread?

You can use a regular maintenance program for your lawn that includes a multi-step fertilization program throughout the spring, summer, and fall. This will ensure that your turf has the proper nutrients and isn’t vulnerable to this unsightly fungus.

Red Thread Is In My Yard! What Should I Do?

Red thread affects the tips of grass blades, but not the roots, so it doesn’t kill the grass plant. While that’s good news, it will still spread to nearby grass if the soil imbalance isn’t corrected. You most likely won’t need to use a fungicide. Instead, proper soil treatment throughout the year is the best way to avoid red thread.

If you notice red thread patches, call Superior Lawn Care today. Our Five-Application Lawn Program will ensure that you’ll have thick, weed-free, disease-free Cranberry and Wexford area yards. We also treat lawns throughout the entire Pittsburgh area. We look forward to hearing from you and making your lawn . . . beautiful!