Lawn Problem - Ask Extension
Please help identify my lawn problem. I get the trouble area each year in the same areas. It’s fine in the spring and early summer then starts to ...
Knowledgebase
Lawn Problem #942355
Asked August 13, 2026, 6:53 PM EDT
Please help identify my lawn problem. I get the trouble area each year in the same areas. It’s fine in the spring and early summer then starts to get bad in late July and into August. It’s a brown patchy area. Fungus? Grubs?
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
Is this area slightly lower than the surrounding lawn? It may accumulate enough excess water to cause the issue. Or our warm nights and dry days may be the problem.
Peel back a section of turf and look to see if there are a lot of grubs.
See these web pages.
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/august-garden-checklist-0
https://extension.psu.edu/turfgrass-diseases-brown-patch-causal-fungus-rhizoctonia-solani
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/brown-patch-in-turf
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/turf/
Or go to: https://tdl.wisc.edu/
(Minnesota's
Plant Disease Clinic is not doing turf at present.)
Peel back a section of turf and look to see if there are a lot of grubs.
See these web pages.
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/august-garden-checklist-0
https://extension.psu.edu/turfgrass-diseases-brown-patch-causal-fungus-rhizoctonia-solani
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/brown-patch-in-turf
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/turf/
Or go to: https://tdl.wisc.edu/
(Minnesota's
Plant Disease Clinic is not doing turf at present.)
