Turf rust

- by Debra Anchors

Turf Rust / Grass Rust

Does a walk on your lawn turn your feet and pant cuffs dusty orange?  Is the grass yellow-brown, thin, and declining?  A disease called rust may be devouring your lawn.  This fungal pathogen steals nutrients from the plants, causing them to lose vigor and even die.





Airborne rust spores are easy to see when stuck to humans and pets.  Occurring in mid- to late summer, infected leaf blades and stems show yellow, orange, or brown spore-producing blisters.


Although not a human health threat, rust weakens a lawn, making it more susceptible to even worse pests such as grubs and chinch bugs.

Unlike most other plant diseases, rust likes dry weather.  Water lawns early in the day and allow time to dry overnight.  Fertilize to promote strong active growth, and over-seed with rust-tolerant grass varieties such as Kentucky blue grass or perennial rye grass.  Rust can usually be managed; only in extreme cases are fungicides needed.

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-Debra

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