Question
I live near Atlanta and my lawn is 4 years old.  Beginning last summer I noticed irregularly shaped dead patches of grass in my Bermuda sod.  Now,  the patches are very large-maybe 20 feet or so.  Both areas happen to be near trees (small trees so i'm sure it is not a shade issue)at first I thought it might be a water issue but the spots have grown very rapidly this summer.  What's my fix?

Answer
Greg:

There are a few possiblities for the cause of the brown patches under trees.

First, we have had a severe drought in the south this year.  Trees and grass compete for moisture.  If water is inadequate, the trees win.

Second, the patches may be caused by fungus.  Have a soil and tissue analysis done by your local ag agent to see if you can employ a fungicide to the area.

Thrid, there may be insects attacking the turf, usually grubs under the sod.  The symptoms of this would usually leave spots of bad turf, rather than a large area, but they are a possibility.  Dig under the turf to see if there are grubs and look closely, especially next year, to see if insects are in large population low to the ground.

Your ag agent is a big resource for analysis and local problems.

Best wishes.