One of the most crucial times to watch for dollar spot is in the fall. Depending on conditions, it can be an issue all season long. If dollar spot issues persist throughout the fall without being addressed, they will almost certainly pop up in the spring, too.

Fall Management

Since dollar spot can overwinter and survive into the spring, if allowed, ending the season with fungicide applications, proper fertilization, and other cultural practices is critical. Use these management practices to ensure dollar spot doesn’t survive the fall.

Cultural Practices

Dollar spot is a low-nitrogen disease, so maintaining adequate nitrogen levels is key. To maintain adequate nitrogen levels, perform frequent and light quick-release nitrogen fertilizer applications.

Be conscious of the kind of foliar nutrients you’re applying. Many products available today are quick-release nitrogen products, which offer 100% immediately available nitrogen. When nitrogen is available quickly, you are more likely to get a quick surge of growth, which makes it vulnerable to fungal diseases. Thus, slow-release or controlled-release nitrogen products are recommended for dollar spot. Foliar-Pak has a variety of controlled-release nitrogen available. Use Foliar-Pak 14-2-4, 11-0-11, Grow-In, Amperage, Bio 12-6-6, and 30-0-0  to add nitrogen and create a healthy plant, which helps it prevent dollar spot and recover from infections.

Other cultural practices recommended to reduce dollar spot pressure include:

  • Irrigation. In the early morning and at night, irrigate deeply and intermittently to help reduce leaf wetness and minimize an outbreak of dollar spot. 
  • Removing dew. Remove dew by employing practices like mowing or poling to lessen a dollar spot outbreak.
  • Sharpen mower blades. It’s essential that your blades are sharp and deliver a good cut to minimize dollar spot infection. 
  • Reduce thatch. Practices like aeration and topdressing help reduce thatch and compaction, creating healthier turf and lessening dollar spot severity.

Chemical Control

Keeping dollar spot at a manageable level during the season is possible with cultural practices and preventative and curative fungicide applications. Make sure to choose the proper spray nozzle and volume of water for uniform coverage when applying fungicides. Below are a few recommended fungicide options.

Fungicide resistance can be an issue with dollar spot. When building fungicide programs, be sure to rotate fungicide classes for better success.

Growth regulators and penetrants are also beneficial when attempting to control dollar spot. The reduced growth caused by growth regulators prolongs the effectiveness of contact fungicide applications. Also, a low rate of a penetrant wetting agent will help reduce dew. A drier plant with a small, steady dose of fertilizer will be less prone to dollar spot.

One thing you do not want to do when dealing with fall dollar spot, especially in the transition zone, is to let the chillier temperatures fool you. Dollar spot can flare up in late fall in some areas. Keep scouting for dollar spot throughout the fall, while implementing the above suggestions, and you will achieve adequate control of the disease.

For additional dollar spot tips, reach out to your ATS rep.