I receive many questions about dead turf in March and April from homeowners wondering what disease has killed parts of their lawn. When we get a question about dead turf at this time of year, we usually look to something that has happened in the past. Sending a sample of dead turf to the lab probably won't provide a definite answer at this time of year, unless a snow mold fungus was present and has left telltale mycelial growth or overwintering structures. For the most part, dead areas do not yield the original pathogen. Saprophytic fungi have invaded the dead areas, and the original pathogen is unlikely to be revealed. Wait until symptoms appear again on actively growing turf, then sample the margin of the affected area-the area between dead and healthy grass. This is where the pathogen is most prevalent, if indeed a pathogen is involved in turf decline. At the U of I Plant Clinic, we usually ask for a 4-inch-by-4-inch sample of turf from the margin of the affected area. The sample should be deep enough to include roots. Wrap the soil and roots in plastic and put a rubber band around the sample at the soil level, leaving the blades out of the plastic. Follow submitting instructions on the Web site at http://plantclinic.cropsci.uiuc.edu/submit.html.