How to Treat Dollar Spot Disease in the Lawn

When clusters of small, sunken, straw-colored circles about the size of a silver dollar appear in your lawn, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a fungus called dollar spot. Once known for causing trouble on golf courses, dollar spot is now a common problem for homeowners, too.

While this lawn disease can be tricky, you can get it under control. Here’s how to identify, treat, and prevent dollar spot for a healthier, greener lawn.

How to Identify Dollar Spot

Dollar spot is fairly easy to recognize. Look for these key signs:

• Small, Straw-Colored Circles: The most common sign is the appearance of small, round, bleached-out patches of grass that are often compared to the size of a silver dollar.
• Lesions on Grass Blades: Individual grass blades may have tan, hourglass-shaped spots with a reddish-brown border.
• Cobweb-like Growth: In the early morning, you may see white, fuzzy growth (mycelium) on the affected grass before the dew dries.

What Causes Dollar Spot?

Dollar spot is a fungal disease that thrives when conditions are just right. It typically occurs from late spring to late fall, especially during periods of moist weather.

• Weather: The fungus favors high humidity and temperatures between 60°F and 85°F.
• Persistently Wet Grass: Heavy dew, watering in the late afternoon, and poor drainage can keep grass leaves wet for long periods, encouraging dollar spot to grow.
• An Underfed Lawn: Grass needs proper nutrients to thrive. An undernourished lawn is much more likely to develop diseases like dollar spot.
• Mowing Too Short: Cutting your grass too low can weaken it and create a moist environment that dollar spot loves.

Grass Types Most Affected By Dollar Spot

Dollar spot can affect most warm- and cool-season grasses, including:

• Fescues
• Ryegrass
• Bentgrass
• Bluegrass
• Bermudagrass
• Zoysiagrass

Your Best Defense: How to Prevent Dollar Spot

The best way to deal with dollar spot is to prevent it from showing up in the first place. A healthy lawn care routine is your strongest line of defense.

• Feed Your Lawn. A well-fed lawn is a strong lawn. Nourish and strengthen your grass by feeding it four times a year. Take the guesswork out of feeding with a personalized Scotts® Lawn Care Plan.
• Water Properly. Water deeply but not too often. The best time to water is in the early morning, which allows the grass blades to dry during the day. You can also prune trees and shrubs to improve sunlight and airflow, which helps dry the grass faster.
• Mow at the Right Height. Raise your mower blade to a height of 3 to 4 inches. Taller grass is healthier and more resilient. Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at a time when you mow. The exception is Zoysiagrass, which can be cut a little shorter.

How to Treat Dollar Spot When It Appears

If dollar spot has already appeared in your lawn, you need to act fast to control it. For tough-to-treat diseases like this, we recommend using a fungicide that works by contact or has both systemic and contact control. Always read the product label to make sure it controls dollar spot and follow all directions carefully.

Because dollar spot can be stubborn and may develop resistance to certain treatments over time, it's important to choose an effective product. If you've used a product in the past and aren't seeing results this time, switch to a product with a different active ingredient to control the disease.

How to Repair Your Lawn After Dollar Spot

Once you have the fungus under control, it's time to fix any bare patches it left behind. EZ Seed® Patch & Repair is an easy-to-use, 3-in-1 solution that combines grass seed, fertilizer, and a special growing material to help repair bare spots. Simply choose the product that matches your grass type and follow the label directions to get your lawn growing back thick and full.

Dollar spot may be one of the trickier lawn diseases, but it doesn't have to ruin your lawn. With a good maintenance schedule and a watchful eye, you can get rid of this menace and get back to enjoying your lawn.