Disease Dollar spot is a common problem on most turfgrasses grown in Kansas, including Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, buffalograss, bermudagrass, and zoysiagrass. It is not common on tall fescue. The disease may occur regardless of management or soil fertility, although damage usually is most severe if there is a deficiency of nitrogen. Dollar spot results in the formation of small, roughly circular, bleached patches in the lawn. The patches are more numerous in areas where there is poor air circulation or drainage.
Most spots are only a few inches in diameter.
However, under favorable environmental conditions and mowing heights greater than two inches, individual spots may exceed 6 inches in diameter. Affected plants within the diseased spots wilt and eventually turn tan or brown. During outbreaks of the disease, numerous spots on the turfgrass coalesce into large irregular dead areas. This can result in substantial damage to the turfgrass. On individual infected plants, leaves develop light yellow to tan lesions with reddish-brown borders.