Photo by Chris Zhang on Unsplash
It’s around this time of year when we often see lush, green lawns start to grow brown and dry. This can happen to your whole lawn or just in patches depending on the reason why it’s occurring.
Here are some of the reasons why your grass might be dying and some basic treatments.
Fungal Diseases
When you see discoloured patches or rings of dying grass on your lawn, fungal diseases are typically the culprit.
“Typically, fungal diseases occur after moist weather in the spring. However, both typhula blight and fusarium blight can infect lawns in the late summer months.” - Garden Guides
The treatment for fungal diseases on your lawn is often through the application of a fungicide or the more natural solution of digging up the dying patches and reseeding it.
Drought
Drought can be a tricky problem for your lawn to overcome especially when during a drought, it’s common for municipalities to put rules in place restricting watering lawns. It’s a reasonable request so, sadly, sometimes your lawn is just going to have to suffer for it, but don’t worry about care, you can revive it once the drought is over!
“According to The Lawn Institute, not watering your lawn during a drought m[a]y help it, too. A lawn that has gone dormant can actually have a better chance of survival if it’s not watered, rather than being watered occasionally.” - Weed-a-way
Over Watering
Just like it’s opposite—drought—overwatering can be just as deadly to your lawn’s grass. Water is, of course, essential to the health of your grass but that doesn’t mean it can handle an excess of it.
“As a general rule, it is best to water enough to wet the whole root zone on an infrequent basis. If your lawn is healthy and your soil is not compacted, give your lawn about 0.75 to 1 inch (1.90 to 2.54 cm) of water once a week.” - Wise Geek
It is also important to water not based on a schedule but based on the weather. When it’s cooler, water less often. If it’s been raining every day this week maybe don’t water at all. If it’s been scorching and sunny for the past few days you’ll want to water a little more than what’s typical.
Thatch
Thatch, which is an accumulation of dead plant matter between the grass and soil, can be responsible for those pesky dead patches. Thatch isn’t always unhealthy for your lawn—a thin layer can protect your grass from foot traffic—but if it gets too thick it’s going to prevent your grass from absorbing the water it needs. Raking your lawn in the spring is the best solution.
“You might have raked away all your leaves in the fall but that doesn’t mean you’re done for the year! Spring raking is about fixing matted patches of grass and getting rid of thatch.” - Dash Lawn Care
Animal Urine
Yellow spots on your lawn, especially if your yard is by a commonly used sidewalk for dog-walkers or if you, yourself own a dog, are often caused by animal urine.
“Dogs are the most common culprit, but large birds and other animals can cause urine spots, too.” - Today's Homeowner
Animal urine can mess with the soil’s pH which can make it difficult for the grass to survive. If you own a dog, try and train it to only pee in a certain spot so that’s your only problem area.
Grass can die for a number of reasons. If it’s completely dead you’ll have to dig it up and reseed it, but, more often than not, with some care, it can be revived. If you look out for these common problems you’ll know how to prevent it in the future.
Contact us today for a FREE quote! We’ll come in, clean up your lawn/gardens, and leave—while you sit back, relax, and do something you enjoy!