Dead Spots in Lawn - Ask Extension
This spring, when grass started to green up, I noticed several dead patches on my lawn near the road. I had hoped these patches would fill out, but in...
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Dead Spots in Lawn #874105
Asked June 21, 2024, 3:19 PM EDT
This spring, when grass started to green up, I noticed several dead patches on my lawn near the road. I had hoped these patches would fill out, but instead these patches seem to be getting worse creeping farther up my lawn. Is this some type of fungus or snow mold? My lawn was also treated with a weed and feed a few weeks ago and now I’m noticing yellowing. How would you advise treating this situation? Please feel free to call<personal data hidden>) if that is easier. I appreciate your help and advice. Thank you.
Patricia Smuda-Behr
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
It looks like there may be some small holes in the brown patches. Is that true? If so you likely have a mole/vole issue. They dig up grass looking for grubs in the lawn. If not there several brown lawn diseases that require a closer look at the grass blades and roots.
Also consider patch disease. This has brown sections with green grass growing in the middle. This looks like a possibility given the pictures. Review the following websites and see if these are helpful. If not send a closeup photo of grass blades and roots at the edge of the brown areas.
1. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/whats-digging-your-yard
2. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/turf/irregular/
3. https://extension.illinois.edu/lawns
4. https://extension.illinois.edu/lawns/managing-patch-disease-lawns
Also consider patch disease. This has brown sections with green grass growing in the middle. This looks like a possibility given the pictures. Review the following websites and see if these are helpful. If not send a closeup photo of grass blades and roots at the edge of the brown areas.
1. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/whats-digging-your-yard
2. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/turf/irregular/
3. https://extension.illinois.edu/lawns
4. https://extension.illinois.edu/lawns/managing-patch-disease-lawns
Thank you for your thoughts. I’m wondering if perhaps this is a patch type disease. I had voles several years ago and I don’t believe that’s what I have today. This started in the spring and is slowly creeping along my lawn. Is there a chemical I could apply to help? Or another remedy? I did have weed and feed applied this spring which was high in nitrogen, which I understand probably didn’t help the situation. If you know of someone (or a company) I could call to come out and assess the situation and offer a solution, that would be helpful. I live in the NW suburbs (Corcoran). My phone number is<personal data hidden>. Thank you.
Pat Smuda-Behr
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 28, 2024, at 10:04 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 15, 2024, at 8:56 PM, Pat Smuda-Behr <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Thank you for your thoughts. I’m wondering if perhaps this is a patch type disease. I had voles several years ago and I don’t believe that’s what I have today. This started in the spring and is slowly creeping along my lawn. Is there a chemical I could apply to help? Or another remedy? I did have weed and feed applied this spring which was high in nitrogen, which I understand probably didn’t help the situation. If you know of someone (or a company) I could call to come out and assess the situation and offer a solution, that would be helpful. I live in the NW suburbs (Corcoran). My phone number is<personal data hidden>. Thank you.Pat Smuda-Behr<image0.jpeg>Sent from my iPhoneOn Jun 28, 2024, at 10:04 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
I have referred your question to our turf specialist Jon Trappe. He will be calling you for more information.
