Melting out is a disease that affects which grass?

• A. Kentucky bluegrass
• B. Bermudagrass
• C. Tall fescue
• D. Zoysiagrass

Answer: (A)

Melting out is a turf disease that causes rapid die-off of leaf tissue and crowns, leaving the turf with a melted, patchy appearance. The host most closely associated with this condition is Kentucky bluegrass, a cool-season grass commonly grown in northern lawns and sports fields. Under wet, mild conditions, the pathogen damages the leaf blades and crowns quickly, so you see those telltale melted-looking patches form and spread. Because Kentucky bluegrass is the classic host for melting out, it’s the best match among the grasses listed. Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass are warm-season grasses with different disease patterns, and tall fescue, though cool-season, is not the species most typically described for melting out.