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I have spots in my yard! by Jeremy M. Kichler County Extension Coordinator Colquitt County • Moultrie, Georgia email: jkichler @ uga. edu
This time of year, I get many calls about lawns and why they do not look good. Let’ s talk about some of the issues that are coming to my attention from landscapers and homeowners.
An issue I see more in centipede and St Augustine lawns is Take-all root rot( TARR). This is a fungal disease in warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass, centipede and St. Augustinegrass. Likewise, the fungus that causes this disease is Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis. TARR favors hot temperatures of around 77 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, slow-draining soil, and a pH above 6.5. Other factors that encourage the disease include pathogens and environmental stress. Environmental stresses include herbicide injury, shade, imbalanced soil fertility, and soil compaction. Initial symptoms of the disease include yellow and odd-shaped patches of grass that can be up to two feet wide. The fungus begins its infection in the lower leaves of the grass and then spreads to the upper leaves. However, often after symptoms are seen on the foliage of the grass, the roots of the grass will be either discolored or rotted. Furthermore, this disease can result in dead patches of grass throughout the yard.
If you have a St. Augustine lawn, then I bet you have gray leaf spot. The symptoms of gray leaf spot vary depending on the grass cultivar. On St. Augustinegrass, gray leaf spot first appears as small, brown spots on the leaves and stems. The spots quickly enlarge to approximately ¼ inch in length and become bluish gray in color and oval or elongated in shape. The mature lesions are tan to gray in color and have depressed centers with irregular margins that are purple to brown. A yellow border on the lesions can also occur. In cool-season turfgrass, the symptoms are like those of melting-out.
Gray leaf spot is favored by daytime temperatures between 80 ° F to 90 ° F and night temperatures above 65 ° F. It is also found in areas with high nitrogen levels and
that are stressed by various factors, including drought and soil compaction. This disease is most severe during extended hot, rainy and humid periods.
Some tips to avoid gray leaf spot are to avoid medium to high nitrogen levels during mid-summer. Homeowners should irrigate turf deeply and as infrequently as possible to avoid water stress. When irrigating the lawn, please start early in the am to allow water to remain on leaves for only a short period of time. Reduce thatch by vertical cutting. When possible, plant turfgrass that is resistant to gray leaf spot.
If you have questions about your lawn please contact your local county Extension agent. n
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26 MoultrieScene AUGUST 2025