Leaf spot fungus occurs in warm weather. It typically affects plants, but it also occurs in home lawns and golf courses. It causes spotted-looking leaves and wilted grass.
So, before your yard falls victim to it, let’s find out what causes leaf spot fungus and how you can prevent it.
Spotted leaves occur when fungal spores in the air find a warm, wet, plant surface to cling to. As soon as that microscopic spore gets comfortable in its new home, sporulation (the fungal method of reproduction) occurs and the tiny brown fungal leaf spot begins to grow.
If you’re seeing brown or black spots on the leaves of your plant or the blades of your grass, you have an infection.
The spots will vary in size and will be seen on the leaf surface. Spots are irregular and measure between 3/16 and ½ inch (0.5 to 1.5 cm.) wide
It can affect many different types of plants. In Michigan these include:
Bacteria on the plant surface are easily spread by splashing rain and irrigation to nearby plants.
The good news is that your plants won’t die from leaf spot fungus.Most trees tolerate leaf spots with little or no apparent damage. But you can help keep them disease-free in the future. You can do things like
Avoiding overhead watering can also help keep plant diseases (particularly leaf spot fungus) from spreading. Watering from overhead simulates rain.
Unfortunately, leaf spot pathogens can spread from your infected plants to your lawn. But leaf spot on grass generally develops in cool, cloudy, and wet conditions.
The disease is confined to leaf blades in the early stages, but sheaths, roots, and crowns can become infected during hot, humid weather. Close mowing can aggravate disease outbreaks by increasing stress on plants and allowing spores greater access to crowns and roots.
Remember that leaf spot makes turf look sick, but does little permanent damage. However, it sets the stage for the more serious melting-out phase of the disease. Leaf spot and melting out actually are different diseases with similar symptoms and pathogen characteristics.
They both attack Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue, and appear to cause the most damage to golf course roughs, sports turf, and residential lawns. Both pathogens can affect all parts of the plant (leaves, shoots, and roots).
The major apparent difference between the two is that the melting-out pathogen is active during cool, wet weather, while the leaf spot pathogen infects during the heat of the summer.
The way you water, feed and mow your lawn makes a huge difference in the fight against lawn diseases.
So, whether it’s the (fallen) leaves from the trees or the grass down below, Safari Tree can help you take care of your entire yard. Typically, it’s only a matter of time before a problem that starts in the treetops ends up affecting your turf.
Safari Tree offers a year-round healthcare program for trees and shrubs. It’s perfectly designed for Michigan’s four-season climate.