Dollar Spot: Turf Disease Treatment
If you’re noticing that brown, circular patches of grass are forming on your lawn, this is a sign that your turf could unfortunately be infected with Dollar Spot.
What is Dollar Spot?
Dollar Spot is a turf disease caused by the presence of the fungus ‘Clarireedia jacksonii’, which thrives in warm, humid climates. It can affect various grass types and earns its name from the small, round patches resembling American silver ‘dollar’ coins that can develop on your lawn.
Dollar Spot mainly damages the lawn aesthetically, with brown circular patches appearing in your grass. It can take over rapidly, killing large areas of grass and affecting the strength of your grass blades. If your blades are damaged, this affects photosynthesis, stress susceptibility and the health of your lawn as a whole.
Dollar Spot disease tends to be more prevalent during warm and humid periods like spring and autumn. The disease thrives in prolonged damp conditions and if leaves, twigs and general debris have been left on your lawn, this can create a perfect environment for the disease to develop and thrive.
Warning Signs
Detecting dollar spot can be challenging, especially if your lawn is covered in debris- the extent of the damage may not be apparent until the disease has already taken hold.
You might observe rough circles or dollar-sized patches of bleached or brown grass. Sometimes you can even see the fungus itself in the form of a cobweb-like substance covering the areas that have succumbed to the disease.
Unfortunately, the affected grass in these areas is unlikely to recover, and dollar spot may persist in ideal conditions.
Prevention & Treatment
Preventing dollar spot involves proactive lawn care measures all year round. You should regularly mow your lawn at a consistent height, being mindful not to scalp the grass. Mowing regularly promotes air circulation on the lawn and gets rid of older, possibly infected leaves and debris.
Watering your turf deeply and infrequently to ensure consistent moisture levels is better for disease-resistance than prolonged, shallow watering that allows the turf to stay damp and ideal for thriving fungus.
If you have an outbreak of Dollar Spot, you can use fungicide treatment products available in local garden centres or online to address the affected areas quickly.
Additionally, you can promote re-growth by re-seeding the damaged areas after treatment.
