Dollar Spot

Dollar spot is caused by the fungal pathogen Clarireedia homoeocarpa. The disease infects by producing a mycelium, which can be spread mechanically from one area to another. Prolonged periods of high humidity are required for the disease to infect, and infection may occur from late spring through late autumn. 

Symptoms of Dollar Spot
The disease appears as round, brown to straw-coloured and somewhat sunken spots approximately the size of a silver dollar. Dollar spot is readily distinguished from other turf disease by light-tan lesions with a reddish-brown border on the leaf blades of live plants near the edge of the affected area.
Controlling Dollar Spot
  • Aerate to relieve compaction
  • Scarify to manage thatch build-up
  • Remove dew to allow canopy to dry more quickly. 
  • Apply a specific fungicide but be careful not to apply more than twice per year to avoid the lawn becoming dependent. 
Fungicides are always best used as a last resort and in conjunction with the other control methods detailed above.