Summer Patch

About Summer Patch

Summer patch (Magnaporthe poae) is primarily a disease of Zoysia and Bermuda grass — not tall fescue. In Middle Tennessee, it is not a significant concern for the fescue lawns that make up the vast majority of residential turf in our service area. If your fescue lawn is dying in summer and you suspect summer patch based on internet research, you almost certainly have brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani) or dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) instead. Both are far more common on fescue in our climate zone and produce similar-looking damage patterns. Brown patch and dollar spot are the two diseases that account for ninety-nine percent of fungal turf damage in Middle Tennessee fescue lawns. For Zoysia lawn owners, summer patch is a real concern — Zoysia is fickle in our climate and susceptible to multiple diseases including summer patch, large patch, and chinch bug damage. This is one of the reasons we specialize in fescue lawn care rather than warm-season turfgrasses.

Summer Patch (Magnaporthe poae) is a lawn or landscape disease commonly found in Middle Tennessee, including Columbia, Thompson's Station, Spring Hill, and the surrounding areas. This entry is part of our Disease Identification Library.

As lawn care and treatment specialists, we diagnose and treat Summer Patch regularly when servicing properties across the region. Early identification is the key to effective fungicide treatment and minimizing damage to your turf and landscape plants.