DISEASE ID · FUNGAL DISEASE
Spring dead spot
A root and runner rot that leaves round dead patches in bermudagrass when it wakes up in spring. The spots tend to come back and grow.
How to spot it
- Well-defined round dead spots when bermudagrass starts to green up
- Spots from a few inches to several feet across
- Bleached, straw-colored grass, often a bit sunken
- Roots and runners (stolons) are black and rotted
- Spots grow bigger each year and fill in slowly from the edges
Why it shows up
Fungi attack bermudagrass roots and runners. The infection starts in fall, and it shows when the grass comes out of dormancy in spring. Too much nitrogen, thick thatch, and compacted or poorly drained soil make it worse.
How we treat it
We'll identify it on a visit and recommend the right fix. It starts with feeding timing: go easy on nitrogen, especially late in the season. Aerating and cutting back thatch help too. The fungi are active in late summer and fall, so that's when we plan. If it keeps coming back, a treatment might make sense, and we'll talk through it with you.
What you can do
- Note where the spots show up each spring. They tend to return in the same places.
- Skip heavy fertilizer late in the season.
- Aerate compacted soil and keep thatch down.
WANT IT HANDLED?
Let a licensed applicator take it from here.
Tell us about your lawn. We’ll get back to you with a free quote.
Prefer to talk? 817-382-1722Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138