Dollar Spot

Dollar spot is a fungal disease that affects lawns. It occurs most commonly in late spring, summer and autumn, when the weather is warm and humid. Periods of wet and overcast weather and heavy dews can also create ideal conditions for dollar spot to develop.

Dollar spot disease first creates clusters of small circular yellow or brown spots in the lawn, which can then spread over larger areas. Individual leaf blades develop red-brown edges and you may also see patches of very fine cobweb-like white threads (mycelium) growing over the lawn, which are part of the fungus.

Dollar spot can infect many different common lawn types, including bent grass, Queensland blue couch, ryegrass, fescue, couch, kikuyu and buffalo.

• Lawns should always be watered in the morning, so that the leaves can dry during the day. Wet leaves overnight can increase the chances of dollar spot developing. It's also best to water the lawn thoroughly and deeply once or twice a week, rather than on multiple days. This not only helps to move moisture down into the soil and promote deeper lawn root growth, it reduces the amount of time the lawn foliage is damp.  
• Water sitting on the soil surface can exacerbate lawn diseases like dollar spot. Apply a soil wetting agent, like Yates Waterwise Soil Wetter, which helps to break down the waxy, water repellent layer on the soil and move moisture away from the surface and down into the root zone.
• Too much thatch (the build-up of grass and dead runners on top of the soil) can promote the development of dollar spot. Some of the thatch can be removed by vigorously raking the lawn and then mowing to remove the excess thatch and clippings.
• Lack of nitrogen, the key nutrient that promotes green leaf growth, can increase the likelihood of dollar spot disease. Feed the lawn from spring to autumn with a specialised lawn food that's rich in nitrogen such as Munns Professional Golf Course Green. 
• Apply Yates Mancozeb Plus Garden Fungicide and Miticide over the lawn using a sprayer as soon as any dollar spot symptoms appear.

• Lawns
• Turf