It is difficult for homeowners to balance working, spending time with family, and maintaining their yard.
As a result minor neglect will result in an unhappy lawn; things can worsen if you have a lawn disease problem because you can’t ignore and hope it goes away on its own.
Fungal lawn attacks are the most despised and typical of the many ailments that lawn enthusiasts endure. Fortunately, fungicides are available to save your lawn while saving you time dealing with the menace.
However, scheduling and comprehension are critical for the fungicide to be successful, which has led many homeowners to ask when to apply fungicide to lawn.
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When to apply fungicide to lawn? Factors to consider
1. What is the mode of action of the fungicide?
When determining the best time to apply a fungicide, the mode of action is more significant than the form. We shall look at two categories of fungicides based on their method of action: systemic and contact fungicides.
Contact fungicides only affect the visible parts of your plant; they are not absorbed, remain on the stem, and last for a long time.
Although it has a long residual, this fungicide should be reapplied as your lawn grows out, making contact fungicide a good choice throughout the autumn and winter when your grass is not actively growing.
Because of the ability of contact fungicide to remain on the surface of plants for an extended period, many lawn professionals recommend that it be sprayed seven days before the disease-prone season begins. However, because it is readily washed away by rain, you must be precise with your time.
On the other hand, the systemic fungicide is adequately absorbed by the blades and dispersed throughout the entire plant, making this anti-fungal resistant to rain and sunshine degradation when fully absorbed.
The ability of systemic fungicides to be effectively absorbed has made them an excellent choice for curative fungicides. They also have characteristics that prevent fungus from growing.
Knowing the mode of action of the fungicide you have will significantly determine when you should apply it; for instants, you can’t apply a preventive fungicide when you already have your lawn infected.
2. Type of grass you have
Not knowing the right time to apply fungicide has made some of us hesitate in treating the problem or rush to treat the problem at the wrong time. But the timing also relies on the type of grass you have for optimum application.
For a cool-season lawn, it would be best to apply the fungicide before the heat of the summer peaks. The reason is that fungicides, especially when using preventive anti-fungal, should be helpful before your lawn undergoes stress.
See also: Which fungicide is best for lawn rust?
Picture this scenario; you provide your body with all the vitamins and nutrients just before the outbreak of the seasonal cold since your immunity system weakens during this period. In the same way, it is good to protect your lawn from fungal infection before it undergoes stress and its immunity is lowered.
You have two windows to apply the fungicide for the warm season lawn. The first is to apply the protective fungicide when rain and humidity are about to ramp up. The second time is right before the start of the fall when the temperatures of your lawn soil start to drop.
3. Can you apply fungicide on a wet lawn?
Fungus is usually prevalent in moist weather; therefore, many lawn pros advise that it is best to apply fungicides during this weather. as a result, you may wonder, can you apply fungicide on a wet lawn?
See also: How to distinguish lawn grub damage from fungal damage
Fungicide can be applied on a wet lawn; however, the application dramatically depends on the type of fungicide you are using and the manufactures instruction.
For instance, it is advisable to lightly water your lawn, when using granular fungicides since the wetness improves contact of the grass blades with the granules. On the contrary, when using the ready-to-use sprayable, your grass does not have to is it is easily absorbed.
See also: Are liquid fungicides better than granular fungicides
Remember to read the manufactures instruction to use the product effectively.
4. How long does fungicide need to dry before the rain?
When looking into the effectiveness of fungicides during the rainy seasons, there are two crucial things you should consider, the intensity of the rain and the type of fungicide used.
The contact fungicide is vulnerable to rain. Rainfall within an hour after applying the contact fungicide will wash your efforts down the drain.
Henceforth, this herbicide needs more than a day without rain to effectively protect your grass against fungal infection. Anything less than a day will render the contact fungicide ineffective.
On the other hand, the systemic fungicide will take a few hours to become rain fast. But when there is a light shower, you should not panic; some systemic fungicides will need light rains to absorb the root system effectively. However, after a few hours of application, the systemic fungicide will be leeched in case of heavy rainfall.
In general, despite the fungicide, you will be using, give it a day to dry properly before the rains. However, if you suspect rains consider using a high-quality fungicide like the Scott diseaseEX fungicide. Additionally, the product is fast acting.
See also: best way to treat grubs in lawn
There is a wide range of fungal diseases on lawns; fortunately, they are usually easily noticeable. And when the fungus comes visiting, the only logical solution is to apply a fungicide.
However, timing the optimum window for applying the fungicide is the best way to get results quickly.
The answer to the question “when to apply fungicide to lawn” depends on several factors, including the method of action of your fungicide, the weather, and the type of grass you have.
Above all, keep in mind that a delayed intervention will do more harm. Take all of this into account, and you will not squander your fungicide.
See also: Best way to remove grass for landscaping
Reference
Michigan State University: Fungicide properties and weather conditions
UGA Pecan Extension: How Long Does Your Fungicide Need to Be on Before the Rain
