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black spots on grass


Question
QUESTION: We have black spots on our grass and my brother lives around the corner and is having the same problems. It's a black spot it wipes off the grass easy and fells like oil. We have seen something whit like a mushroom but it's not and if you mash it ,it blows out black powder looking stuff. The black spots are in different areas.

ANSWER: Sounds like sooty mold, a product of aphids on the plants leaving sugar rich droppings for the mold to propogate.  Treat for aphids and the mold will go away.
Not serious damage, but worth treating.  Strange to see it on turf.
If you do not see aphids on the grass and the problem continues after treatment, get help from your local ag agent who can do plant tissue, pest and soil analysis on the turf.
Best of luck.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We don't see any aphids/ The thing that looked like a mushroom when we picked it up and mashed it the black powder looking stuff came out and look just like black powder with a oil base to it.

Answer
That sounds like a puffball, a giant puffball or an earthstar.  These are mushrooms which mature into spore bearing ball-like shapes.  The black substance is the spores.  They may have blown onto the grass and pose no threat to its health.
The oily character has me confused.  Spores are very tiny and hold together like something saturated with oil.
They will likely disappear in later summer.

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