With the wet warm conditions that we’re currently experiencing there is increased risk of the fungal attack known as Red Thread. This usually is most obvious during a wet Autumn when conditions of the late summer heat combined with the wetter Autumn months generates a muggy, humid feel. As with all fungi, wet and warm is a condition they thrive in.

You will perhaps notice a pale pinky tinge in your lawn and upon closer inspection you’ll see why it’s called red thread. On the tips of the grass you’ll notice wispy little red threads sometimes coupled with a pinky candy floss type blob. This is Red Thread.

So how do you deal with it? There are varying solutions. The common solution is simply to feed the problem out with a decent fertiliser feed. This helps to build stronger grass to cope with the disease. Well actually you’ll find that the grass grows quicker so when you mow you’ll be able to clip off the disease. Make sure you wash off your mower when you’ve finished to remove the spores. The other solution is to apply a fungicide. This is a good solution but very often you’ll find that by using fungicides the grass will start to build a resistance making next year’s attack twice as bad. I tend to go for the feed option as it’s has proved effective in previous years. The other reason is that fungicides are ridiculously expensive making them far too expensive to purchase and to pass on to the customer at a reasonable price. To further help try and avoid watering in the evening and remove any clippings from the lawn. It may be necessary to aerate and scarify in the autumn to reduce the thatch layer which can be a breeding ground for red thread.

For anymore help or advice please get in touch.