Skip to main content
Customize by ZIP Code

User account menu

  • HELP CENTER
  • Log in
Menu Search
Home Home
Ortho

Main Navigation (US)

  • Bugs

    • Products

    • Essential Oils

    • Tips & Solutions

    • Featured Products

      Ortho® BugClear™ Insect Killer for Lawns & Landscapes Ready-to-Spray Front
      Ortho® BugClear™ Insect Killer for Lawns & Landscapes Ready-to-Spray
      Ortho® Home Defense® Max Indoor Insect Barrier with Extended Reach Comfort Wand® Front
      Ortho® Home Defense Max® Indoor Insect Barrier with Extended Reach Comfort Wand®
    • Featured Articles

      House fly sitting on a table.
      How to Get Rid of Bugs Indoors
      Modern kitchen with white cabinets and an ant infestation.
      How to Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen
  • Garden

    • Products

    • Tips & Solutions

    • Featured Products

      Ortho® Dial N Spray® Hose End Sprayer
      Ortho® Dial N Spray® Hose End Sprayer
      Front of package
      Ortho® MAX® Garden Disease Control Concentrate
    • Featured Articles

      Yellow Lady Bug on Leaf
      Vegetable Garden Pests
      Large spider on a spider-web.
      The Benefits of Spiders in the Garden
  • Weeds

    • Products

    • Tips & Solutions

    • Featured Products

      Ortho® GroundClear® Super Weed & Grass Killer1
      Ortho® GroundClear® Super Weed & Grass Killer<sub>1</sub>
      Front of packaging
      Ortho® WeedClear™ Lawn Weed Killer Ready-to-Use with Comfort Wand
    • Featured Articles

      Dandelions growing in a field.
      Dandelions
      Landscape with mulch, pink flowers, grass, and a hardscape.
      6 Tips for a Weed-Free Landscape
  • Pollinator Promise

  • Purpose

  • Help Center

Search

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Problems and Solutions
  3. Spring Dead Spot -

Free shipping on all orders over $35!

Problem Solver Animal Marquee

Problem:
Spring Dead Spot

Image of Spring Dead Spot

Problem Info

Circular dead spots develop in bermudagrass lawns when growth begins in the spring. Spots vary from a few inches to several feet in diameter. The dead grass is sunken and straw colored, and the stolons and roots are blackened and decayed. Weeds may invade the affected areas. Bermudagrass sometimes slowly fills in by the end of summer, but is shorter than the surrounding healthy grass. Grass may grow back only in the center of the spot, creating a frog''s-eye pattern. In bermudagrass lawns overseeded with a cool-season grass, affected areas appear as light-green spots.

Analysis

This lawn disease is caused by three fungi (Leptosphaeria korrae, Ophiosphaerella herpotricha, and Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis) that affect bermudagrass, causing stolon and root rot. Spring dead spot is common in areas where temperatures drop low enough to promote winter dormancy of bermudagrass. It is most likely to develop in lawns with excess thatch and in lawns that are overfertilized or fertilized late in the growing season.

Solution Advice

Avoid overfertilization and late-season fertilization. Keep thatch to a thickness of no more than 3/4 inch. Keep the lawn healthy and vigorous to encourage bermudagrass regrowth into dead areas. Replace the sod and soil of badly diseased areas.

STILL NEED HELP?
TWEET US
LIVE CHAT
EMAIL US

Home

© 2022 The Scotts Company LLC. World rights reserved.

Ortho Family

  • Careers
  • Our Brands
  • Scotts Miracle-Gro

Resources

  • Check Order Status
  • Return Policy
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • About Cookies
  • About Interest Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Contact Us
  • Investor Relations
  • Site Map
  • Responsible Bug Disclosure Program

Connect

  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
  • Our Brands
  • Investor Relations
  • Careers