What’s Causing Brown Spots in Your Lawn?
Brown spots have a dozen possible causes. We’ll help you narrow it down to the right one so you’re not guessing — or wasting money on the wrong treatment.
Symptom overview
What This Looks Like
Brown spots are one of the most common lawn complaints in Middle Georgia. The cause ranges from fungal disease to pet damage to dull mower blades — and the fix depends entirely on which one it is.
Possible causes
What Could Be Causing This
Large Patch (Rhizoctonia)
Large patch is the number one cause of brown spots in warm-season lawns. It creates circular patches that range from a few inches to several feet across, with a distinctive orange-brown border. Most active in spring and fall when soil temps are 60–80°F.
Learn moreDollar Spot
Dollar spot creates small, silver-dollar-sized brown spots that can merge into larger irregular areas. Most common in bermuda and zoysia lawns that are low on nitrogen. Look for white cobweb-like mycelium in the morning dew.
Learn morePet Urine Damage
Dog urine creates small, intensely brown spots with a ring of dark green grass around the outside. The nitrogen concentration in urine burns the center but fertilizes the perimeter. Usually 4–8 inches in diameter.
Grub Damage
White grubs feed on grass roots underground, causing brown patches that feel spongy and can be pulled up like a carpet. Damage shows up in late summer through fall when grubs are actively feeding.
Learn moreDull Mower Blades
Dull blades tear grass instead of cutting it cleanly. The torn tips turn brown within a day or two, giving the entire lawn a brownish haze. This is easy to rule out — look at individual grass blades for ragged, shredded tips.
Diagnose it
Narrow Down the Cause
Are the brown spots circular with a distinct border?
Circular spots with defined edges strongly suggest a fungal disease like large patch or dollar spot.
Irregular shapes point toward pet damage, grub feeding, or mechanical damage from mowing.
Can you pull the brown grass up easily, like peeling carpet?
This is a classic sign of grub damage. The roots have been eaten away. Pull back the turf and look for white C-shaped larvae.
The roots are still intact, which makes fungal disease or surface-level damage more likely.
Do the spots have a dark green ring around the outside?
That’s almost certainly pet urine damage. The green ring is from the nitrogen in urine fertilizing the surrounding grass.
Rule out pet damage and focus on disease or insects as the cause.
Did the spots appear after a period of warm, humid weather?
Fungal diseases thrive in warm, humid conditions. Large patch and dollar spot are the most likely culprits in Middle Georgia.
Consider mechanical causes (mowing, traffic) or pest damage.
Still not sure? A professional lawn assessment takes the guesswork out of it.
Get QuoteSeasonal timing
When This Is Most Common
In Middle Georgia, brown spots from large patch are most common in spring (March–May) and fall (September–November). Dollar spot peaks in late spring through summer. Grub damage shows up in late summer and early fall. Pet damage happens year-round but is most visible during active growth.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell if brown spots are from disease or pests?
Disease spots usually have defined circular borders and may show fungal signs like orange edges or morning dew mycelium. Pest damage tends to be irregular and the grass pulls up easily because the roots are gone. We can diagnose the difference on a visit.
Will brown spots from large patch grow back on their own?
The grass crowns usually survive large patch, so the turf does recover once temperatures move outside the disease’s active range. But without treatment, the disease comes back every year and the spots get bigger. A preventive fungicide program breaks the cycle.
How do I fix brown spots from dog urine?
Water the spot heavily right after the dog goes to dilute the nitrogen. For existing damage, rake out the dead grass and the area will usually fill back in from surrounding turf during growing season. Severe spots may need overseeding or plugging.
Related problems
Other Lawn Problems to Consider
Take action
Stop Guessing and Start Fixing
Every lawn problem has a solution. Get a professional diagnosis and targeted treatment plan from Attaboy Lawn Care.
