What is Dollar Spot Fungus on Lawns and How to Control it?

Dollar spot fungus is a fungus that grows on grass that is moist from morning dew and is a sign of a larger disease known as spider web fungus. The branching mycelium of the dollar spot fungus emerges on the morning grass in the same way as spider webs or cobwebs do. However, unlike spider webs, the dollar spot mycelium fades after the dew evaporates. Let’s find out more about these webs that appear on lawn grass.

What Cause Dollar Spot Fungus on Lawns?

The fungus derives its name from the brown blotches it leaves on the grass when it spreads over the area. Initially, they are roughly the size of a silver dollar, but they may go unnoticed until they develop and spread to cover enormous, irregularly shaped portions of ground. The blotches mimic those produced by drought, yet adding additional water simply exacerbates the situation.

It is always present in lawns, but the organisms that produce dollar spot fungus (Lanzia and Moellerodiscus species—previously Sclerotinia homoecarpa) only take root and begin to proliferate when the grass is under stress. Inadequate nitrogen is the major cause of the illness, although other factors like dryness, overwatering, inappropriate mowing height, excessive thatch, and inadequate aeration may also play a role. The combination of warm days and chilly nights promotes fast fungal growth when stress is present.

Regular grass upkeep is the most effective way to combat dollar spot fungus. Fertilize on a regular basis, using the quantity of fertilizer specified on the package. Water once a week in the absence of rain. Apply the water early in the day so that the grass has enough time to dry before the sun sets and the temperature drops. It is necessary to remove extra thatch in order for water and fertilizer to reach the roots.

Dollar spot fungus may be treated with fungicides, but they should only be used when regular lawn upkeep fails to keep the fungus under control. Fungicides are very poisonous compounds that should only be used with extreme care. Choose a product that is labeled as a treatment for dollar spot illness and carefully follow the directions on the package.

Spider Webs in the Grass on the Lawn

In the absence of the telltale brown stains on the lawn grass and despite appropriate lawn management, you may have grass spiders in your lawn. Grass spider identification is straightforward due to the fact that the spiders seldom leave their webs.

Look for spider webs in the form of cones on the grass. The spiders prefer to hide in a section of the web that has been protected by fallen leaves, pebbles, or other debris. When disturbed, they will immediately flee to another section of the web and may administer a painful, but otherwise innocuous, bite.

Because they trap and consume insects that feed on lawn grass, grass spiders are good for the environment.

Methods for Efficiently Controlling Dollar Spot Fungus

Circular, depressed patches of straw-colored grass, each a little larger than the size of a silver dollar, dot the landscape. Even though the term “Dollar Spot” is derived from an American coin, it’s only fair that this lawn fungus comes at a high price. Left untreated, dollar spot may quickly infest lawns and eat away at grass roots, resulting in patches of bare ground across the lawn and the creation of breeding grounds for weeds and pests.

In the event that a lawn gets infested with dollar spot, the most effective method of controlling the disease is to use fungicides. As with any product on the market, certain fungicides perform far better than others—and we’re here to assist you in making those differences.

Both Boscalid and Flutolanil are prescription medications.

With reasonable success, Boscalid and flutolanil are two fungicides that may be used to treat dollar spots in the short term. When seen from a long-term perspective, however, the narrative shifts. In the long run, there is a significant chance that the dollar spot will become more resistant to boscalid and flutolanil and will effectively learn how to outwit its control mechanisms. Consequently, even if additional fungicides are sprayed, the dollar spot will continue to grow despite them.

Chlorothalonil and Mancozeb are pesticides.

Unlike boscalid and flutolanil, chlorothalonil and mancozeb have a minimal probability of developing resistance to dollar spot, in contrast to the latter two. However, although this is encouraging news for the long-term stability of both medications, the difficulty is that neither of these fungicides is especially effective to begin with. As a consequence, although the fungicides will provide the same outcomes over time, the quality of these results is often poor.

Propiconazole and fludioxonil are two antifungal medications.

Propiconazole and fludioxonil provide the best of both worlds: excellent efficacy while also posing a minimal chance of developing resistance to lawn diseases. In other words, these fungicides successfully eliminate dollar spot quickly, depriving it of the time to develop resistance to disease management techniques and work around them in the future. This might be ascribed to the fact that propiconazole and fludioxonil permeate tissues to give long-lasting, systemic control from the grass roots to the tops of the plants. Propiconazole and fludioxonil are effective because they penetrate tissues and provide long-lasting, systemic control.

Treatment for Keeping a Lush Lawn in Dollar Spot

For yards around Michigan, we at Lush Lawn & Safari Tree utilize the most powerful fungicides available (propiconazole and fludioxonil) to eradicate dollar spot. The greatest results are obtained by using these fungicide sprays many times a year, making certain that each spray covers a large area in order to eliminate any causes of the grass disease.

In many circumstances, a dollar spot may create a sea of bare spots in the backyards of those who are sick with the disease. Despite their unpleasant looks, these bare places serve as an open invitation for insects and weeds to establish themselves and inflict harm on the grass as a result.

Homeowners may also rely on our staff for reseeding services while keeping these considerations in mind. By laying down fresh grass seed, you can erase the patchwork look of your lawn and introduce new, healthy grass that will compete with annoying weeds for space.

In addition, there is a discussion to be had about fertilization methods. Low nitrogen levels in soil might be one of the environmental factors that contribute to the start of dollar spot, which also includes other factors such as inadequate soil moisture and excessive thatch.

Due to the fact that nitrogen is a key element in plant development, the root systems of plants become weak and less resistant to external influences if they are not provided with enough of it. In order to ensure that grass retains important nutrients for its health and is better able to fend off illnesses such as dollar spot, we provide nitrogen-rich fertilization services.