What is Pythium Blight?

Varieties: Perennial ryegrass and bluegrass

Less affected, if conditions are right: Creeping bentgrass and tall fescue

Pythium blight mold first appears as small, sunken, circular patches up to 1 foot in diameter during hot, humid weather. Affected areas are matted, orange or dark gray in color and greasy in appearance.

Gray, cottony mycelium may be seen in the infected areas when the leaves are wet or humidity is high. The disease spreads rapidly along drainage patterns and tracked with mowing equipment. This disease can cause widespread damage to a lawn.

Warm night temperatures paired with an extended period where leaves are wet are ideal conditions for Pythium blight to develop. For this reason, severe Pythium blight epidemics are commonly observed the morning after a late afternoon or early evening thunderstorm in the summer. Excessive soil moisture and stress from hot daytime temperatures can also encourage development and spreading of this disease.

How to control Pythium Blight:

Scotts® DiseaseEx™ Lawn Fungicide BagScotts® DiseaseEx™ Lawn Fungicide Chart

Scott’s MiracleGro Recomends

Scotts® DiseaseEx™ Lawn Fungicide offers a formula to cover a wide range of problem lawn diseases. This new product is fast acting and continues to control lawns diseases for up to 4 weeks.

Photos and content generously provided by The Lawn Institute

The Lawn Institute

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