Are you noticing small brown patches in your lawn? In the early morning hours, do you see red/pink strings in your lawn?
If so… it is possible you have Read Thread Lawn Disease
What is Red Thread?
Red thread is caused by the fungus Laetisaria fuciformis. It thrives in wet, humid weather with temperatures between 60–80°F—conditions common in early summer.
What does Red Thread look like?
Red thread shows up as tan or brown patches about the size of your hand. Look closely and you’ll often see red or pink threads on the grass blades, especially in the morning dew.
Why does Red Thread happen?
The fungus is naturally present in soil and activates in wet conditions. Lawns with fine fescues, thatch buildup, poor drainage, or dull mower blades are more susceptible. But even healthy lawns can get infected.
What will happen if Red Thread has infected my lawn?
Red thread does not kill the grass plant, but rather causes that leaf to turn tan. These brown patches will recover in time once the infection window closes. To fully recover the plant needs to grow a new leaf. Since grass typically grows about 1 inch per week, recovery can take 2–3 weeks depending on mowing height.
What can you do to reduce Red Thread in your lawn?
- Avoid mowing in the early morning to reduce the spread of the disease.
- Water between the hours of 6am – 10am to reduce how long the leaf blades are wet.
- Sharpen your mower blades
- Consider getting the lawn areated
What can bioLawn do to help manage Red Thread in your lawn?
bioLawn’s base lawn care program includes fertility to naturally reduce some diseases like red thread. For lawns with a consistent history of red thread or not wanting to see red thread, bioLawn’s bioBoost and bioBest Lawn Packages include fungicides that can reduce the red thread occurance in lawn. We also have a disease lawn program that can help reduce red thread in extreme outbreaks.
Long term, bioLawn offers aeration and seeding services, which can help reduce the incidence of red thread.
If you’re seeing signs of red thread or are questioning if you have red thread, contact us. We’ll help diagnose and guide you toward a healthy, resilient lawn.