As the old saying goes, money doesn’t grow on trees. Unfortunately dollar spot does grow on your lawn. This week’s turf tips we look at dollar spot turf disease that can affect many different type of turf varieties.
What is dollar spot?
Sclerotinia Homoeocarpa or better known as dollar spot or if you live in America silver dollar disease. The dollar spot lawn disease usually look like yellow dollar sized spots that appear on your lawn. By looking up close, it appears to have a red/brown or even yellow/tanned edges on the leaf that are about the size of a one dollar gold coin. If the disease left untreated, it is most likely to spread.
Another way of identifying the appearance of dollar spot disease is fine web like threads that appear through the leaf blades of your lawn on colder mornings. The webs will disappear as the day warms up. The technical term for is called Mycelium. Which is where the threads are actually a fungal that consists of mass branching. Dollar spot needs treatment or otherwise, the spots get larger forming bigger patches which can affect and over your take lawn.
How and when does it happen?
Dollar Spot disease effects many different turf grass varieties. With the additional moisture over the last few days heading into autumn, you might be able to identify dollar spot in your lawn. With the extra amount of thatch build up, poor drainage or even watering your lawn too often. This can be some factors of dollar spot showing up. Turf that works in extreme conditions such as golf courses are commonly know from experiencing dollar spot. Some of the factors that come into play is high humidity, dry soil, low nitrogen levels. Another cause is seasonal change from the beginning of autumn lasting until the end of spring which creates heavy dew.
How to avoid dollar spot
There is ways to prevent this type of fungal disease from happening to your lawn. By simply following seasonal lawn care maintenance. This will encourage a healthy lawn growth. Below is a list of regular lawn maintenance tips that is recommended before and after winter.
- Regularly fertilising throughout the year (except for winter) will encourage the right nitrogen levels that your lawn requires.
- Regular mowing helps remove thatch build up. Thatch is known for disease to grow in your lawn, especially in a humid environment.
- A deep watering in the mornings and late afternoons.
- Aerating your lawn will help to give your lawn some extra access to oxygen
- Using a wetting agent.This products helps the soil to open up allowing the water to penetrate evenly throughout the soil making watering more efficient, reducing loss through run off and gives your lawn more access to water stores.
By following these regular lawn maintenance tips you will be able to control dollar spot without using a fungicide. If the issue does worsen and needs treatment, there are fungal products that can be purchased at your local Bunnings called, Mancozeb or Zaleton Systemic Fungicide. Before applying make to always read the label and follow the product instructions.
To get more advice on lawn problems or to order a new lawn call our team on (07) 3114 8281. If you want to pop in and order in person, our office is located at Unit 1/243 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge. Open Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 12pm.
For more great turf, tips keep an eye on our website and all our social media channels.
