Maintain Healthy Grass With Local, Expert Lawn Tips
Straw-colored, bleached patches abruptly showing up throughout your yard? The main culprit is dollar spot fungus. It’s a common lawn disease that wrecks your grass’s aesthetic appeal.
Truth is, more money gets spent addressing this single turf issue than any other fungal problem. It’s incredibly prevalent and frustrating to handle. But before you panic, let the experts at TDI Services walk you through what’s genuinely occurring to your lawn and what realistic actions you can take to address it.
Dollar Spot Fungus: What Is It?
Dollar spot stems from a fungal pathogen known as Clarireedia jacksonii. This specific disease attacks your grass’s leaf blades instead of the roots or crowns, which is actually positive news. It means your lawn can recover with proper care.
The name “dollar spot” comes from the appearance of the damage on mowed turf. You’ll observe circular, silver dollar-sized spots (1 to 2 inches across) that turn a bleached tan color. These separate spots can merge into larger, straw-colored patches that really thin out your grass and allow weeds to establish themselves.
Dollar spot will target cool-season varieties like Kentucky bluegrass, fescues, and perennial ryegrass. But it’s also happy to damage warm-season grasses like Bermuda and zoysia as well. Basically, if you’ve got a lawn, you’re potentially vulnerable.
Why Does Dollar Spot Show Up?
Thatch buildup and soil compaction. Less air and water penetration creates that dry-soil-but-moist-canopy situation.
Poor air circulation. Dense shrubs, low tree branches, and shade can trap moisture, encouraging lawn diseases.
Irrigation in the afternoon or evening. Watering at that time of day makes grass blades stay wet for extended periods.
Low nitrogen levels. Lawns that are under-fertilized are most susceptible because the grass is not growing well enough to outgrow the infection.
Mowing stress. Cutting your grass too short, with dull blades, or scalping the lawn weakens grass and makes it easier for this fungus to invade.
What Does Dollar Spot Look Like?
The most obvious sign of dollar spot? Those characteristic patches of small, straw-colored, or bleached spots roughly the size of a silver dollar.
On closer inspection, you’ll see tan lesions running across the blade in an hourglass shape. They’re outlined with a reddish-brown border.
Another indication you’re dealing with dollar spot fungus? White, cobweb-like growth on dewy morning grass. That’s the mycelium becoming visible when the grass is wet. As the sun comes out and the blades dry, it disappears, so you might miss it.
When & Where It Appears
Dollar spot really likes its particular window of weather, especially temperatures between 60°F and 90°F. Combine that with humid days and cool nights with dew, and you’ve got perfect conditions.
So you usually see it from late spring to early fall in Alabama. Outbreaks commonly peak in late summer when all those conditions are just right.
This lawn fungus loves prolonged moisture on grass blades and low nitrogen levels in the soil. If you’re watering your lawn and that water’s only wetting the leaf blades (not soaking deep into the root zone), you’re creating exactly the conditions this fungus craves.
Dollar spot spreads most through mycelium, or fungal threads, on previously infected plants. The most potent carriers? Grass clippings. Even walking around after mowing can spread it.
It overwinters as structures called pseudosclerotia, buried in dead plant debris. When things start to warm up in the spring, those structures wake up and start all over again. In most regions, the cycle runs from early May through the end of October.
10 Steps to Fight This Lawn Disease
Opt for a Fungicide Treatment
By far, the two best fungicides for dollar spot fungus are chlorothalonil and propiconazole. Here’s what lawn care professionals know but most homeowners don’t: You can’t just spray the same fungicide over and over. The fungus adapts to it. So if you want control in the long run, rotation is key! Usually, you’ll reapply every 14 to 28 days during high-risk times of the year.
Improve Access to Air and Sunlight
Prune low tree branches and thick shrubs that shade your lawn and can foster a moist atmosphere over the grass. Improved air circulation prompts dew and irrigation to dry more quickly, breaking the ideal conditions of the fungus.
Get the Right Grass
When it’s time for overseeding or a lawn renovation, pick a variety of grass that has more resistance to dollar spot disease. Grass isn’t all the same. Some have been bred to resist common lawn diseases like this.
You should also figure out the proper type of grass for your region. If you’re battling your climate, trying to grow cool-season grass in a warm region or vice versa, then you’re just making everything more difficult than it should be. Match your turfgrass choice to your geographic location, your soil, landscape, and how you actually use your lawn.
Stop the Spread
When you have active dollar spot, you don’t want to help it spread. Instead of mulching the grass clippings back into the lawn, bag or collect those from infected areas. Clean your mower deck and tools after use, especially if you’re moving from an infected area to a healthy one.
Do Remove the Dew
If you’re really serious about prevention, mow early in the morning to remove dew-covered grass tips. On larger properties, some people even drag a hose or rope across the lawn to knock dew off the blades or roll something lightweight across the yard to soak up the dew. These techniques may sound simple, but they work.
Let Your Soil Breathe
Lawn aeration once a year reduces compaction and improves water and nutrient penetration. Otherwise, the elements your grass needs to thrive can’t get down to where your grass can use them.
Also, if your thatch layer exceeds half an inch, dethatch to improve airflow and drainage. Again, you don’t want anything blocking water and nutrients from getting to the roots.
Change Your Watering Schedule
This may not seem like a big deal, but it really is. Water deeply but infrequently, aiming for about 1 inch per week, in the early morning hours (between 5 and 10 a.m.).
Watering at this time gives the soil time to soak up moisture, allowing the grass blades to dry quickly as the sun comes up. Remember, you want moisture in the root zone, not sitting on leaves.
And be sure to stop those shallow sprinklings in the evening. Sure, sometimes that’s the only time you’re home to turn on the sprinkler. But you’re basically welcoming dollar spot into your yard.
Adjust Your Mowing Height
Taller grass blades shade the soil, retain better moisture in the root zone, and create an environment less favorable for the fungus. Plus, taller grass is just healthier and more resilient overall.
Important: Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade height in a single mowing. And be sure to keep your mower blades sharp. Dull blades tear grass instead of cutting cleanly, and those ragged edges are more susceptible to infection.
Feed Your Lawn Nitrogen
Give your grass a boost of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer in late spring to help it grow through early summer, when outbreaks of dollar spot often begin. Continue with light, regular nitrogen applications through the growing season at a rate recommended for your grass type.
Healthy, well-fed grass can actually outgrow the disease. Undernourished lawns? They struggle to recover and just keep getting worse and worse.
Reach Out to TDI Services
When you have a lawn fungus overtaking your yard, hiring a professional lawn care company will definitely pay off over the course of time. It will save you time, money, and headaches, since we know exactly what products to use, when to apply them, and how often to rotate them.
FAQS About Dollar Spot
Is fungicide always necessary?
If you catch dollar spot fungus early and adjust your maintenance practices accordingly, you can often suppress the disease without reaching for chemicals. However, if it sticks around, a fungicide application may be required.
What is the best fungicide for dollar spot?
Chlorothalonil and propiconazole are two of the best options. Just be sure to rotate them to help avoid resistance.
Will my lawn actually recover from this lawn fungus?
Yes! Since dollar spot attacks the leaf blades and not the roots or crowns, your lawn can absolutely bounce back. Most lawns will be showing visible improvement within 2 to 4 weeks after you implement control measures, add proper nitrogen, and maintain the appropriate mowing height.
Will dollar spot go away on its own?
Not usually. Active treatment will help limit the spread. To prevent it from coming back, try to maintain nitrogen levels, water early in the morning, mow high, and reduce thatch buildup.
Your Alabama Lawn Care Professionals Are Here
DIY efforts can only take you so far. You may spend hours of time and lots of energy without much to show for it. The easiest way to achieve a gorgeous lawn is to trust your local experts.
When you want to eradicate dollar spot (and other lawn care diseases), reach out to TDI Services in the Gulf Coast of Alabama. With highly trained technicians and industry-leading products, we’ll take steps to help achieve your dream yard.