Lawn Fungicide Guide for Homeowners
What to Buy for Common Lawn Diseases
You know you need to take either preventative/curative action against a possible/existing disease in your lawn, but need direction on which product (or products) are best. This guide will help break down which fungicide products are best suited to treat each disease.
The problem is that not all fungicides work on all diseases. A product that works great for Dollar Spot may do little to help with Pythium Blight or Summer Patch.
To make things easier, we've organized this guide by disease rather than by fungicide chemistry. For each disease, you'll find:
• A homeowner-friendly product commonly found at Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, or Ace Hardware
• A professional-grade alternative that is often more cost-effective for larger lawns
• The fungicide's FRAC Group
• Product cost and cost per application
Before applying any fungicide, make sure you've correctly identified the disease. Choosing the right product starts with knowing what you're treating.
Understanding Cost Ratings
Product Cost ($)
- $ = Lowest upfront cost
- $$ = Moderate cost
- $$$ = Expensive
- $$$$ = Very expensive
Cost Per Application (#)
- # = Low cost
- ## = Moderate cost
- ### = High cost
- #### = Very high cost
- ##### = Extremely high cost
Dollar Spot
Best Big Box Option
BioAdvanced Fungus Control for Lawns
- Active Ingredient: Propiconazole
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ####
- Control Rating: Excellent
Best Professional Option
Quali-Pro Propiconazole 14.3
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: #
- Control Rating: Excellent
Brown Patch
Best Big Box Option
Scotts DiseaseEx
- Active Ingredient: Azoxystrobin
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ###
- Control Rating: Excellent
Best Professional Option
Azoxy 2SC
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $$$
- Cost Per Application: ##
- Control Rating: Excellent
Red Thread
Best Big Box Option
BioAdvanced Fungus Control
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ####
- Control Rating: Good
Best Professional Option
Quali-Pro Propiconazole 14.3
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: #
- Control Rating: Good
Rust
Best Big Box Option
BioAdvanced Fungus Control
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ####
- Control Rating: Fair to Good
Best Professional Option
Quali-Pro Propiconazole 14.3
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: #
- Control Rating: Fair to Good
Leaf Spot & Melting Out
Best Big Box Option
BioAdvanced Fungus Control
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ####
- Control Rating: Good
Best Professional Option
Quali-Pro Propiconazole 14.3
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: #
- Control Rating: Good
Gray Leaf Spot
Best Big Box Option
Scotts DiseaseEx
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ###
- Control Rating: Excellent
Best Professional Option
Azoxy 2SC
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $$$
- Cost Per Application: ##
- Control Rating: Excellent
Powdery Mildew
Best Big Box Option
BioAdvanced Fungus Control
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ####
- Control Rating: Good
Best Professional Option
Quali-Pro Myclobutanil 20EW
- FRAC Group: 3
- Product Cost: $$$
- Cost Per Application: #
- Control Rating: Good
Summer Patch
Best Big Box Option
Scotts DiseaseEx
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ###
- Control Rating: Excellent
Best Professional Option
Azoxy 2SC
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $$$
- Cost Per Application: ##
- Control Rating: Excellent
Necrotic Ring Spot
Best Big Box Option
Scotts DiseaseEx
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $
- Cost Per Application: ###
- Control Rating: Excellent
Best Professional Option
Azoxy 2SC
- FRAC Group: 11
- Product Cost: $$$
- Cost Per Application: ##
- Control Rating: Excellent
Pythium Blight
Most homeowner fungicides provide poor control of Pythium Blight.
Best Professional Option
Quali-Pro Mefenoxam 2 AQ
- FRAC Group: 4
- Product Cost: $$$
- Cost Per Application: ##
- Control Rating: Excellent
Alternative:
Subdue MAXX
- FRAC Group: 4
- Product Cost: $$$$
- Cost Per Application: ##
- Control Rating: Excellent
For severe outbreaks, Segway (FRAC 21) is considered one of the strongest Pythium-specific fungicides available.
