Symptoms

• Brown patch usually causes circular-shaped spots in a lawn. The grass is light brown in color, with tan leaf spots that resemble cigarette burns. The spots can be a few inches in diameter or several feet wide. Although the center may turn green again, the edges often remain brown.
  
  

Prevention

• Preventing brown spots is much easier than treating them. Do not use fertilizer with a high amount of nitrogen in the fall because the fungus attacks the new growth caused by the nitrogen. Water St. Augustine grass only when it is very dry, and do so early in the morning. When you cut the grass, it's a good idea to remove the clippings from the yard.
  
  

Solution

• Use fungicides to control brown spots on your St. Augustine grass. Spray fungicide sprays when the low temperature at night reaches 70 degrees F. When it is below 70 degrees for five days in a row, stop applying fungicides.