There are small patches of brown grass on the lawn that appear as if they have been torn by a fungal infection called dollar spot. When treated in time, this lawn disease is easy to treat. you can get rid of dollar spot, and chemical control can play a role as well.
How does Dollar Spot work?
The fungus that causes dollar spot is Clarireedia jacksonii (previously known as Sclerotinia homoeocarpa). In environments with high humidity, especially during the summer, the pathogen thrives.
The fungus affects Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, fescue, and bentgrass, which are cool-season grasses. Other warm-season turfgrass species can also be infected, such as Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass.
Identifying Dollar Spots
The following signs will help you find the dollar spot on your lawn:
- Round patches : Typically 1 to 4 inches in diameter, these are small, round patches of brown or straw-colored grass.
- Increasing areas : Large areas may form when the patches merge.
- Mycelium, or strands of growth, on grass blades can look like spider web-like growths in the morning dew. As the fungus spreads and acquires nutrients in an affected area, it forms a network of delicate, thread-like structures called mycelium.
- Red-brown edges: On the grass leaves, small, tan-colored lesions may be seen with red-brown borders.
The Best Way to Remove Dollar Spots
Cultural lawn care practices and chemical fungicide treatments can both be used to treat dollar spot.
The practice of culture
Here are some tips to stop dollar spot – and to prevent it from returning.
- Properly mow your grass: Always maintain the correct mowing height for your grass type. You should avoid cutting your grass too short so that it becomes weak and susceptible to disease. To minimize stress on your lawn, maintain sharp mower blades regularly.
- Thatch reduction: To prevent dollar spot fungi from thriving, you should reduce thatch. How come? In order to feed on excessive thatch on your lawn, Clarireeda jacksonii consumes it. Maintain a regular dethatch schedule to prevent the buildup of organic debris on your lawn and improve the circulation of air.
- Drainage: Aeration improves soil drainage and prevents excessive moisture buildup. As a result of aeration, the soil is able to better circulate air, drain water, and absorb nutrients. This prevents grass roots from becoming unhealthy by reducing thatch buildup and compacted soil.
- A healthy lawn requires mulch: Mulching can help your lawn stay healthy. In healthy lawns, grass clippings can provide an eco-friendly and cost-effective mulch, since they’re already available after you mow your lawn.
An easy solution: Bag the clippings after mowing if your lawn has dollar spot. It will prevent the disease from spreading.
- You can help your grass recover from dollar spot faster by fertilizing it with organic or synthetic fertilizers. Your lawn needs specific nutrients based on a soil test.
- Avoid shade: Dollar spot is more common in shady areas. Your lawn will benefit from better sunlight exposure and air circulation if you prune shrubs or trees that cast excessive shade.
- It is important to water your lawn correctly: When you water your lawn at the right time, you reduce drought stress and dollar spot lawn disease. Rather than following a strict calendar schedule, water deeply and infrequently based on your soil’s moisture level.
An easy solution : Water early in the day (before 8 a.m.) during cool nights to prevent prolonged wetness, or use sprinklers to prevent wetness during cool nights.
Methods based on chemicals
Dollar spot can also be controlled chemically. Treatment of dollar spot with fungicides is possible, but prevention is more effective. These ingredients are commonly found in many of the best fungicides.
- Boscalid
- Myclobutanil
- Propiconazole
- Triadimefon
- Triticonazole
- Vinclozolin
An easy solution: Dollar spot becomes resistant to fungicides quickly, so it’s recommended to change the fungicide used regularly to lower resistance risks.
In order to treat a lawn that has suffered from ongoing infections, fungicides should be applied at high rates, at short intervals, and equally throughout the lawn.
Using chemical methods, you can remove dollar spot:
- It is very important that you follow the instructions on your product label and carefully follow them.
- A dry lawn should be treated evenly with granular fungicides using a fertilizer spreader, followed by thorough watering.
- Invest in a weed sprayer so you can evenly spread the fungicide over the grass affected by the fungicide. Mix the fungicide with water as instructed on the label. Cover the entire area with the sprayer nozzle.
- Depending on the fungicide, different amounts must be applied. You can find detailed information on the product label. The correct dosage of application should be followed closely according to the instructions.
- According to the instructions on the back of your spreader, you should adjust the dial of your spreader.
- Liquid fungicides should be sprayed on a calm day so that they won’t drift into other areas.
- Beginning at the perimeter, apply the fungicide. You can add stripes to your lawn by filling in the interior with rows.
A guide to repairing lawn damage caused by dollar spots
When treated quickly and if your lawn was healthy beforehand, you can recover from a dollar spot infection with some hands-on care.
Using proper lawn care practices can prevent dollar spot from appearing in your lawn. The following steps can be followed to repair a lawn that has been damaged by dollar spot:
- Eliminate dead grass: Get rid of dead grass and any thatch buildup using a thatch rake or dethatching machine.
- Observe and replant: Once the affected areas have been cleared, plant or overseed healthy grass seeds on these damaged spots. To avoid future outbreaks of dollar spot, choose a grass variety that is resistant to the disease. The damaged areas can also be replaced with sod.
- Fertilize and water: Water freshly planted grass seeds regularly to ensure proper growth. Make sure the soil is moist without becoming waterlogged. To ensure your grass grows and recovers successfully, apply balanced fertilizer.
Prevention of Dollar Spots
Your yard can be protected from dollar spot in a number of ways. You can reduce the risk of dollar spot infection by following some routine lawn care practices and by using fungicides.
- The best time to use fungicides is during the late spring and early summer, when dollar spot is at its most prominent. Your lawn will remain healthy and green all summer long by applying fungus-preventing lawn treatments every 14-28 days.
To prevent resistance from developing, mix up your fungicides. - Aerate, dethatch, and mow your lawn regularly to maintain good lawn care. Dollar spot fungus can be promoted by excessive watering and thatch buildup. It is also caused by dry soil.
- To prevent poor nutrient levels in your lawn, fertilize it. Especially in soils with low nitrogen levels, dollar spot spreads rapidly. Maintaining a healthy lawn will reduce the risk.
- Increase air circulation. Prune the trees and shrubs that are shading your lawn in order to encourage good air circulation. The result will be a reduced amount of moisture accumulating on the lawn and less likelihood of lawn fungus developing.
- Detect dollar spot early and treat it if necessary. As soon as you notice any symptoms, apply appropriate fungicides or cultural practices.
- A whip and drag method is employed by golf course landscapers to prevent dollar spots on turf. With this technique, a flexible tool is gently used across the lawn by brushing or dragging it along.Make sure the grass is whipped and dragged early in the morning to minimize dew buildup. When a fungal infestation is active, avoid doing this to prevent spreading the infection.
How to Remove Dollar Spots FAQ
Will the Dollar Spot Go Away on Its Own?
When the conditions that promote dollar spot growth disappear, the spot may disappear on its own. To maintain the health and appearance of your lawn, you should take proactive measures like preventing and treating dollar spot.
The best way to control and prevent dollar spot is to improve air circulation, reduce thatch buildup, monitor during growth, and treat it early. Furthermore, prevention can be accomplished using fungicides.
What Causes Dollar Spots on My Lawn?
There are several reasons why dollar spots recur in lawns. Overwatering, excessive thatch buildup, and low mowing heights are all factors that favor the development of the fungus.
It is also possible to increase the susceptibility to dollar spot by weakening or stressing the grass, deficiency of nutrients, improper lawn care practices, and environmental factors.
What is the Best Dollar Spot Fungicide?
Dollar spot can be controlled with fungicides containing the following active ingredients:
- Boscalid
- Myclobutanil
- Propiconazole
- Triadimefon
- Triticonazole
- Vinclozolin