A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2002 Diseases in lawns in different areas

Hi I live in the Wisconsin area, and we have been plagued with a host of lawn diseases this season. So of which I have experienced before in other locations but never out here.
Now that the weather has started cooling off, the warm season diseases,
( fusarium, leaf and dollar spot, brown patch, and anthracnose have been the major ones) seem to be slowing down a bit. But they have weakened the lawns tremendously and I am not looking forward to the cool season crop of problems. I don't think the lawns are going to be able to take much more abuse this season.
I was just wondering if others have noticed a high incidence of fungal diseases this season. If so please respond and include your location. If you are of the unfortunate who have had one hit your yard, and want to know the best way to repair, and preventative measures to take for next season, ask away.

I am in the Milwaukee area just 10 miles west of Lake Michigan. Our lawn has had relatively few disease problems this summer. Let me say, though, that despite the drought I have watered very little, only two days all summer. Sure there was a bit of the dormancy experience, but not as much as you'd expect.
On the other hand I have a few spots of low growing grass which I suppose is creeping bent. I know the only way to cure it is via Roundup and re-seeding, but it's not been spreading so I'm leaving it alone for another year.

A lot of folks out here in Wisconsin, get that creeping bent grass. In most cases it is a grass called Poa Trivialis, which is actually a cultivar of bluegrass. Your guess is right you will need to round up the area and get out all the dead matter then reseed. However I would not wait as it may not have spread much this season, it is VERY aggressive, and the sooner you take it out the better. If you seed in the spring you will be setting yourself up for a nasty case of crabgrass come summer, so I would go ahead and do it now.