The weather so far this year has been very conducive for diseases. Now that we've hit summer and the growth on turfgrass has slowed, diseases are showing up more frequently in home lawns. Warm temperatures, frequent rains, and humid conditions create the perfect conditions for several different diseases to thrive.
What to Look For
Be on the lookout for some of these diseases:
Rust Powdery Mildew Leaf Spot & Melting Out Pythium Blight Brown Patch
Others can also pop up, but we've been seeing these the most across the state.
You can find more information on most of the diseases we potentially face in Iowa lawns here: Lawn and Turfgrass Resources for Iowa: Diseases.
Management
Fungicides are rarely needed for home lawns. Most of these issues can be managed with good cultural practices, like watering in the morning and fertilizing appropriately. Learn more in this article: How to Prevent Turfgrass Diseases.
Any spots that die out can be reseeded in late August/early September. More information can be found in this article: Overseeding a Lawn.
Watch how to fix dead patches in this video: Fixing Lawn Patches.
Find all the resources you could need to help with your lawn here: Lawn and Turfgrass Resources for Iowa
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on July 9, 2025. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.