As with almost any turf disease, a strong, healthy, well-maintained turf will be able to withstand and guard against leaf spot and melting out.

Avoiding stressors to your lawn, like overwatering, thatch buildup, and improper mowing, and over or under fertilization will help to keep it healthy. Following a lawn care schedule will help you keep on top of necessary turf care tasks.

• Avoid overwatering, which can cause your turf to become saturated and facilitate fungal growth.
• Thatch buildup can harbor disease causing spores and bacteria.
• Cutting your lawn too short and too often can cause it to weaken and prevent it from growing deep roots. Aim to cut only two inches of length at each mow, adjusting mower blade accordingly.
• Fertilize your lawn as needed. Over and under fertilization can open your lawn up to diseases, since improper fertilization can cause lackluster lawn health.

Applying a fungicide before you even see signs of a disease can help you avoid leaf spot and melting out. This is especially important if you have had problems with this disease in past years. Make sure to rotate active ingredients in your fungicide product to avoid a fungicide-resistant strain of disease.