Turfmate field notes · Diseases

Dollar spot

Clarireedia species

Small bleached patches, pale leaf lesions and morning dew.

Dollar spot symptoms on creeping bentgrass.
Dollar spot symptoms on creeping bentgrass.
Photo: Glenobear · source · Public domain. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.

What to look for

  • Small straw-coloured spots that can merge into larger patches.
  • Pale lesions across individual leaves, sometimes with darker margins.
  • Fine white growth may appear during a dewy morning.

Confirm it before you treat it

The size of a patch changes with mowing height. Check individual leaves and the edge of an affected area rather than relying on a distant lawn photo. Dry patch, scalp marks and other leaf diseases can look similar.

What to do next

  1. Record the pattern and photograph both the leaf and the wider surface.
  2. Keep nutrition balanced; avoid leaving turf chronically hungry, but do not make a heavy feed your first response to an unidentified patch.
  3. Water according to root-zone need and encourage leaves to dry. Address prolonged shade, heavy dew and poor air movement.
Seasonal watch

Conditions matter more than dates.

Mild to warm weather with long periods of dew or leaf wetness. Underfed turf can be more vulnerable.

Often a spring and autumn watch item in temperate climates. Humid or irrigated sites can create suitable conditions outside those windows.

Explore your region & month ↗

Does a white thread mean dollar spot?

No. Several diseases produce visible growth when leaves are wet. Patch pattern, leaf symptoms and site history should be assessed together.

Inspect & compare

More views. Better clues.

Read each caption and compare fresh symptoms in your own turf.

Brown patch symptoms on centipedegrass; appearance varies between turf species.
Brown patch symptoms on centipedegrass; appearance varies between turf species.
Photo: Scot Nelson · source · CC0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
Research comparison, left to right: anthracnose, Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia large patch, dollar spot and spring dead spot. The upper row shows turf symptoms and the lower row plant signs. Pythium root rot is a different presentation from foliar Pythium blight; Rhizoctonia large patch is not a universal example of brown patch. Use the labels when comparing symptoms.
Research comparison, left to right: anthracnose, Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia large patch, dollar spot and spring dead spot. The upper row shows turf symptoms and the lower row plant signs. Pythium root rot is a different presentation from foliar Pythium blight; Rhizoctonia large patch is not a universal example of brown patch. Use the labels when comparing symptoms.
Photo: Tammy Stackhouse, Alfredo D. Martinez-Espinoza & Md Emran Ali (2020), Figure 2 · source · CC BY 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
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Keep investigating

Similar problems. Different solutions.

Reviewed 11 October 2026 · Turfmate. Seasonal windows are indicative planning guidance, not measured outbreak or prevalence data.

Technical sources & image credits

Photos support identification and may have been taken outside Australia. Appearance varies with species, mowing and conditions. A Turfmate product link does not imply endorsement by a photographer or source.