How To Avoid Dead Grass In The Future
Once you have revived your dead grass, keep it looking great with these tips:
- Irrigate the newly restored patches daily to keep the soil moist, but not soggy, for the next two to three weeks. Gradually reduce the frequency of watering as the new lawn establishes itself.
- Mow about once a week to maintain grass thats a few inches long.
- Fertilize every four to five weeks through the fall. After the first year, fertilize your lawn once in the spring and again in the fall.
- Aerate and dethatch every couple of years to help the soil breathe.
- Keep dogs off the lawn. Some dogs have acidic urine that kills grass. If you have no other choice, dilute the spot with water after your pets relieve themselves.
- Move above-ground swimming pools and waterslides around the yard so one patch of grass doesnt suffocate all summer long.
Maintaining a green lawn all summer long can be tricky. If you dont have the knowledge, tools, or time to revive your dead grass, leave professional lawn maintenance to The Grounds Guys®. We provide a full range of lawn care services, from mowing and trimming to aerating and fertilization.
Contact us today for a free job estimate. Then, consider that your grass might be struggling due to a lack of water. Installing a hose spigot with services from Mr. Rooter ® may help.
Did you know? The Grounds Guys is a Neighbourly company. Learn more about Neighbourlys community of home service experts at GetNeighbourly.ca.
How To Repair A Lawn With Seed
If your lawn seems thin all over, try overseeding it. The basics are the same as patching.
Patching Your Lawn05:58
What Causes A Dead Lawn
A dead lawn can be caused by any number of things. It can range from dead spots in your lawn to an entire lawn of brown and lifeless grass.
Disease or drought can cause your lawn to turn from green to brown. Infestations of insects can damage your lawn.
Your clients may suffer from thatch build up, bad mowing, lack of watering, or poor fertilization.
If you are caring for a lawn, you will likely not suffer from most of the above, but a new client or one who has not used you for a while may present you with a problem.
Lets look at what can cause dead patches in a lawn or kill the entire thing.
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Do Apply The Right Lawn Care Products Based On The Issue And Timing
If material is improperly applied to your lawn , this can also cause damage. For example, fertilizer burn is caused when too much product is applied to the grass. Excess product can draw moisture out of your grass and cause it to yellow and ultimately die.
However, all lawn care products have a proper amount and a proper timing associated with them. And some lawn care products may be warranted in certain instanceswhich can differ from lawn to lawn.
You want to make sure that your lawn care company is applying the right products at the right time in order to not only be most effective but also to prevent possible problems.
How To Fix Dead Grass Areas: What To Do
Having a lush green lawn that the neighbors envy can make you feel good every time you step outside. It looks great, it boosts your curb appeal, and can really put a smile on your face.
But that may not be what youre seeing outside and potentially the reason you found this article. You could have thought you succeeded in growing a great lawn but are now looking at dead, brown spots. Or, you could just now be realizing your lawn has progressively gotten worse and really needs some professional help.
When you start to see dead spots in your grass, it can completely change your mood. Few things can be more frustrating and you want a solutionfast.
Of course, the last thing that you want to do is make the problem worse. There are definitely certain things that you should be doingand other things you should not.
Thats why weve rounded up a handy list of how to get dead grass to growas well as what to avoid doing.
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S Of Over Fertilized Lawns
If your lawn is looking more like a jungle than a well-manicured oasis, you may be guilty of over-fertilizing. Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn can actually do more harm than good, leading to a host of problems like brown patches, thatch buildup, and even killing the grass entirely. So how can you tell if youve over-fertilized your lawn? Here are a few telltale signs:
Will Grass Grow Back After Being Burned By Fertilizer
Its a common question we hear at the nursery: I accidentally burned my lawn with fertilizer. Will the grass grow back? The short answer is, unfortunately, not always. It depends on how badly the grass was burned and what type of grass it is.Some grasses are more tolerant to fertilizer burn than others. For example, Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue are more tolerant than ryegrass and bentgrass. If only a small area of your lawn was burned, its likely that the grass will grow back on its own. However, if a large area was burned, you may need to reseed the lawn. If you do need to reseed, wait until the fall when the grass is naturally starting to go dormant. This will give the new grass the best chance to take root and survive the winter.
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Grubs Or Other Pests Below The Turf
Grubs are the larvae of various hard-shelled beetles, such as the Japanese beetle or June bug. A lawn can tolerate some degree of grub infestation, but if the concentration is high, dead patches will appear in your lawn. A strong sign that you are dealing with grubs is if the dead patch lifts away from the ground easily when you tug on the grass. Grubs eat the roots of grass and leave nothing to hold the grass in place. Addressing this problem involves reseeding or resodding and preferably after you have dealt with the grub infestation.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Do Adjust Watering And Mowing Based On Recommendations
One of the recommendations that your lawn care provider might make in terms of how to repair grass is to adjust your watering and mowing routine. Your grass needs around one to two inches of water each week, dependent upon air temperature and movement. If it is cool and still, the soil will retain more moisture. If your lawn isnt receiving enough water, it may need more.
On the flipside, too much water can actually drown your grassroots. Because grassroots need oxygen to live, excessive water can fill those air gaps in the soil and actually drown your plants. This will cause the lawn to yellow, brown, then die. If your lawn care professional determines you are overwatering your lawn, youll need to back off on how often youre watering.
Similarly, your mowing habits can also contribute to dead patches. Mowing, in general, puts stress on the lawn. If you are mowing too short, you may be putting more stress on your lawn then it can handle.
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Fertilize Your Lawn With Organic Fertilizer
There are many types of organic fertilizer that you can buy at garden centers or home improvement stores that will work well on your dead grass lawn.
The key is to get one that has nutrients for green growth as well as nutrients for root growth .
Organic fertilizers also add beneficial bacteria to the soil, which helps break down organic matter and release nutrients into the soil for plants to use.
Is It Safe To Use Chemical Fertilizers
Many chemical fertilizers are safe to use on your lawn, but make sure children and animals are kept away from it before it is absorbed.
The wind can blow the fertilizer and if it is ingested in large quantities, it can be toxic. Fortunately, once it is absorbed into the soil naturally or with the help of watering, it should be entirely safe to walk or play on. Just dont over fertilize or you may end up doing more harm than good!
About The Author
Aaron is the founder of and Essential Home and Garden. He likes to spend his spare time with his family, and doing DIY projects in the home and garden.
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Repairing A Lawn With Grass Seed
When all the above measures dont work, it could be time to reseed those bare spots .
Start by raking the ground then apply your grass seed as instructed in your grass seeds bag.
Quick Note: If you have St. Augustine grass, the best approach is sodding or plugging your bare spots rather than seeding them. You want to purchase adequate pieces of sod/enough plugs to cover the bare spots if youll take this route.
Do Repair The Lawn With The Right Method
First, you have to get the problem under control. Whether a pro diagnoses a disease, a pest, or an environmental concern , you need to address the problem so that it doesnt keep coming back.
Once thats done, then youll need to apply the right method of repair. For the vast majority of cases, aeration and overseeding will restore the dead patches in your lawn.
While there are other more intensive repair methods out there, which tend to be quite costly, even in some of the worst cases weve seen, aeration and overseeding have been effective at repairing dead patches.
Of course, its important to ensure that its performed properly. There is a best time to repair a lawn, which is in the fall when new grass seed will be able to thrive.
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Weeding It Like A Pro
- Use a selective herbicide – if you dont want to dig them up, spray a selective herbicide on weeds since it destroys the weeds while sparing the grass.
- Spray pre-emergent herbicide- after you successfully remove the annoying weeds, consider spraying a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent the germination of new weed seeds.
Quick Note: Weeds are extremely selfish and can steal nutrients that are vital for good grass growth, leaving you with an awful-looking dry brown stretch of grass.
How Do I Fix Them
These seven easy steps will help you restore your lawn to its original condition:
Whatever the reason for your dry grass, follow these steps to restore your lawn. But before fixing these trouble areas, its important to know why they occurred. You wouldnt replace wet carpet without fixing the hole in the roof. The same logic holds true here. Remember, dry grass is only a symptom of the underlying problem that created it. Youll want to correct those problems first. Otherwise, the same dry grass will return.
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How To Repair Bare Spots In Your Lawn
- Pin
Bare patches in an otherwise full, healthy lawn may be the result of pet urine, heavy foot traffic, infestations by grubs or other pests, or a variety of other causes. There are several ways to effectively patch these areas, but you also need to consider the causes and correct them if you can. For example, if a bare patch occurs because natural foot traffic continually pounds one area, no fix will be permanent unless you also solve the traffic flow issue. And if the bald spots are caused by a lawn grub problem, new bare patches will crop up as soon as you repair the old onesunless you address the grubs.
There are two easy methods for restoring bald patches in your lawn: reseeding and patching with sod.
Working Time: 20 minutes to 1 hour
Total Time: Two to six weeks
Skill Level: Beginner
Material Cost: $5 to $10
Hire A Lawncare Professional:
If youre attempting to figure out how to make dead grass grow again, the first step is to contact a specialist. Not just any professional, but one who is well-versed in laws and what they require to thrive. What is the significance of this? Because your lawn problem necessitates a precise professional analysis. Many conditions could be causing your dead grass patches, and many of them share similar symptoms.
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How To Repair A Lawn & Seed Bare Patches
Water’s only part of what you need to fix those dead spots in your lawn and keep them from coming back.
Bald. Bare. Thin. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain: Patchy lawns stink. Until automatic, self-repairing lawns are invented, we’ve got the next best thing quick and easy bare spot repair. Read on for the simple how-to, plus a few extras for keeping your lawn looking lush even longer.
Why Do I Have Patches Of Yellow Grass
Patches of dying or dormant grass alongside an otherwise healthy lawn mean that there is a problem other than weather conditions that is restricting its growth. In some cases, a sprinkler head could be broken which isnt allowing the area to be properly watered. It could also be infected with bugs that are damaging the soil and grass, which will need to be treated. Finally, it could be a result of over fertilizing a specific area or using weed killer too liberally, causing it to harm the grass as well.
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When To Get Professional Help For Dead Grass
You should consider getting professional help if your lawn is in really bad shape.
If youve tried everything on this list and your lawn still looks terrible, it may be time to call a professional landscaper or other lawn care service to help you out.
They can test soil to see if its lacking nutrients and fertilize it for you. They can also test the pH of your soil to see if its acidic or alkaline.
If your lawn is too acidic, they can apply lime to balance out the pH level and make it more conducive for grass to grow.
A professional landscaper can also aerate your soil and apply fresh compost to it. They can use their equipment to do this, which will make the process faster than if you were doing it by hand.
They may also be able to suggest other methods of fixing dead grass that I havent covered in this article.
Theyll also give you an estimate of how much it will cost to do the work, which can be helpful if youre on a budget and dont want to overspend trying out different fixes your self.
Pests Below The Surface
Grubs are a kind of early-stage larvae beetle that eats grassroots, which leaves only the tops of the blades to stand with no foundation. Your lawn can tolerate a small amount of them, but a large concentration can cause dead spots to develop.
Youll know grubs are the problem if the dead patch easily lifts from the ground when you give it a gentle tug.
How to Prevent It
You cantreat the infestation with nematodes or with an insecticide. You can then resod to help bring back the dead areas of grass to life.
Treating for this is best done during autumn months, as this is when grubs are smaller and are most susceptible to nematodes.
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Do Care For Repaired Areas Properly
Getting on the right watering schedule for your repaired areas as well as implementing an after-care program will be important steps when it comes to how to turn brown grass green.
Youve gone through the trouble of having your lawn properly repaired, now you want to make sure that it remains an effective solution. New grass can require some extra care in order to grow successfully.
Approach : Apply Anti
The brown patch strikes could be symptoms of a serious fungal infection in your yard and you may need to treat the yard with an appropriate anti-fungal treatment.
However, you need to be sure that your lawn is indeed infected with a fungal disease before thinking of an effective treatment.
Your local garden center or cooperative extension center can help you figure out the actual lawn disease .
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Foot Traffic Or Furniture
High wear can make it hard for your grass to grow. If your family and pets often tread the same route through your hard, this consistent traffic may create dead patches.
Leaving patio furniture, toys, or anything else on your grass for even a weekend can block sunlight and water from reaching the roots of your grass, causing dead spots. Almost anything, if left for long enough, can damage grass tarps, kiddie pools, chairs, or cars can leave behind a brown patch in their wake.
How to Prevent it
Reroute where your family and pets walk to give your grass a break. Also consider installing a stone, gravel, or mulch path where your family walks frequently.
To help grass under a trampoline stay healthy, one trick is to put a sprinkler underneath it whenever its not in use to make sure it still gets water. If youre going to put out a temporary pool, put it over a tarp first and try to move it around the yard throughout the summer so no one area gets too much damage.
