Red Thread Alert!
Posted by: the lawn man in News, February 10, 2015
Red Thread Alert!
Red Thread is a very common fungal disease in lawns across the UK. The first sign of infestation would be patches of brownish decaying grass. Upon close inspection, very fine red needles can be identified protruding from the blades of the grass. In very bad cases small particles of pink mycelium almost like small particles of cotton wool are present.
Where has it come from?
Red thread is a symptom of high humidity or low fertility.
It is most common during summer months when humidity is very high. However if we experience a mild autumn it can continue throughout the winter.
What can The Lawn Man do to remove Red Thread?
As low fertility is one of the symptoms, it is advisable for our customers to receive their regular fertiliser treatments. However, if the problem persists due to the humid conditions we can apply a fungicide treatment 2-3 weeks after the weed and feed is applied.
What to expect following an application of fungicide.
The lawn should overcome the disease within 2-3 weeks of application. It has been our experience that if the humid weather continues Red Thread can reoccur. Cutting the lawn with a mower that is inefficient or does not have sharp blades could encourage Red Thread.