TruGreen, the UK lawn care experts warn that British lawns could be at risk this Spring from two increasingly common diseases; Rust and Red Thread and gardeners need to act fast to stop the spread early on in the growing season. If the mild and damp weather experienced over the last two springs continues for 2009, these weather conditions will provide the perfect environment for Rust and Red Thread to take hold after lying dormant through the winter.
 
How to tell if you have Rust or Red Thread:
TruGreen advises carrying out thorough checks for the visible signs of these diseases: 

Rust:  If the Rust disease is present your grass will often appear a yellow / orange in colour which is mainly noticeable in the summer and late winter. Eventually Rust will bleach the grass completely and small spores are visible on the leaf which you can see sometimes see on your shoes after walking on the lawn.

Red Thread on the other hand looks like what can be described as ‘pink shredded wheat’ sitting in your grass. This is in fact the fungus.  Also most noticeable in late winter early spring, Red Thread will bleach the grass blades and the leaf will eventually die. The infected patches may be close together or widely apart. 

 

If you are unsure, contact your local TruGreen expert who will quickly be able to identify any intruders.

How to treat

Rust and Red Thread are water- borne diseases.  If left untreated, both diseases can ruin the appearance of your lawn for summers to come and spread throughout the garden.  Even if the summer has hot dry conditions, the spores of both Rust and Red Thread can live and rapidly multiply when wet.

 

Early diagnosis is vital to prevent further spread and long term damage.  Andrew White, Technical expert at TruGreen says; “It is essential that treatment of these spring diseases begins as soon as possible to get your lawn back to full health."  A fully trained TruGreen expert can carry out a thorough fungicidal treatment to remove the disease using specialist products.

 

TruGreen offers a free, no-obligation 14 point lawn analysis programme, which will identify the state of your lawn and recommend any course of action required.  For more information, contact your local TruGreen expert.