Necrotic Ring Spot

Necrotic ring spot has never been field-identified on fescue in our Middle Tennessee service area. It is primarily a disease of Kentucky bluegrass in cooler northern climates and is studied in licensing coursework, but it does not appear in our field conditions.

If you are seeing ring-shaped patterns of dead grass in your Middle Tennessee fescue lawn, the far more likely diagnoses are brown patch (which produces the classic bullseye or smoke-ring pattern), fairy ring (dark green circles with mushrooms, caused by decomposing buried wood), or dollar spot (small silver-dollar-sized patches that coalesce). All three of these are common in our area and have specific, effective treatment approaches.

Necrotic ring spot produces distinct ring or arc patterns of dead grass with healthy grass in the center — superficially similar to brown patch but caused by a different pathogen with a different lifecycle. If you have come across this term while Googling your lawn symptoms, you almost certainly do not have it in Middle Tennessee.