How To Repair Lawn Spots Damaged By Brown Patch
Once brown patch has been treated and is under control, its time to fix up any bare spots left by the disease. A simple way to do this is to use an three-in-one patch and repair mix like Scotts® EZ Seed®. Formulated to absorb water to keep the seed moist and protected, it has everything you need to patch and repair bare spots. Just be sure to choose the formula designed for your grass type, follow the directions on the bottle, and apply during early spring or fall for best results.
To thicken up lawns that have had large areas thinned out by brown patch, overseed your entire lawn during the late summer or early fall with Scotts® Turf Builder® ThickR Lawn Sun & Shade or Scotts® Turf Builder® ThickR Lawn Tall Fescue Mix . Both formulas contain a combination of seed, controlled-release fertilizer, and soil improvers.
With a little care and Scotts by your side, your problems with brown patch will be a thing of the past.
The Weeds Are Out Of Control
From dollarweed and dandelions to oxalis, crabgrass, creeping Charlie, and more, weeds are the bane of any self-respecting lawn caretaker. If youve got a particular problem with crabgrass, refer to the next section, but for all other weed problems, heres what you need to know. You can help avoid the issue in the first place by maintaining the overall health of your grass. To do that, follow these mowing tips, give your lawn just the right amount of water, andfertilize your grass regularly. If weed problems show up anyway, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed3* to feed grass while controlling weeds, or use Scotts® Spot Weed Control for Lawns if you have just a few to manage.
How To Control Anthracnose
Proper lawn care maintenance which includes adequate fertiliser, reduction of thatch levels, aeration, morning watering that is deep and infrequent and mowing at regular intervals is recommended to prevent Anthracnose.
Alternately if the above lawn care maintenance procedures do not work, common remedies such as Neem oil, Bacillus subtilis, Sulfur Dust Fungicides, Liquid Copper Fungicides or Fungicides with the Common Active Ingredient Penthiopyrad please first seek advice from your Local Garden Centre.
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How To Fix Dead Patches In The Lawn
Summer is rough on a lawn. Patchy dead spots can come from all sorts of directions, including fungal diseases such as brown patch and rust, animal digging, grub damage, dog urine and plain, old heat and drought. Whatever the cause, late summer through early fall is prime time to patch the patchiness.
Grass seed germinates well in those cooler, damper conditions. Then the young roots get off to a good start in soil thats still reasonably warm for growth. Early spring is also a good time to patch, but youll need to pay more attention to watering as the weather turns hot and dry. Young grass plants are more vulnerable to heat and drought stress than established grass.
Especially in hot areas, early-fall lawn-patching is best because that gives young grass 6 or 7 months of potential root growth before hitting its first test in the summer oven.
Heres the process:
1.) Clear out any dead, matted turf and other debris. Grass will germinate and root best when it comes into contact with soil.
2.) Loosen the soil. At least scratch the surface, or better yet, dig and loosen the top 2 or 3 inches. If the soil is particularly poor, work in a little compost or similar organic matter. Dont just toss seed on top of hard ground.
4.) Fertilize. Get new growth off to a good start by scattering a small amount of lawn fertilizer specially formulated for new grass.
How To Repair Dog Holes And Other Lawn Damage
Dogs, especially puppies, have a lot of energy that they often devote to digging. They may dig for entertainment, to try and escape, or to hunt prey such as moles.3 It can take some time to train your dog to stop digging once they develop the habit, so intervene earlywith attention, training and praiseto stop digging problems right away.
Step in with quick lawn repairs to fix digging holes as soon as they appear:
For other lawn areas hit with doggy damage, turn to Pennington Lawn Booster. This all-in-one product combines premium Pennington Smart Seed, professional-grade fertilizer and soil enhancer. It’s guaranteed to grow quicker, thicker, greener grass in just one application.
Pennington, One Step Complete and Smart Seed are registered trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.
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How To Repair Bare Spots In Your Lawn
Healthy green turf is a welcome sight as lawns spring to life after winter, but early days sometimes hold surprises. Even well-maintained lawns can yield bare or thin spots, but early spring provides excellent opportunities for corrections. Pre-blended, seeding mixtures eliminate the guesswork in spot repairs by delivering seed, mulch and fertilizer in a single, optimized product. Repairs are simplified, establishment is enhanced, and repaired areas should establish well before summer stresses arrive.
Spring Lawn Care: Reseeding Tips To Fix Bare Spots Thin Grass Stands
Spring rain brings your lawn back to life. With cooler temperatures and plenty of moisture in the ground, the grass tends to grow faster, requiring frequent mowing.
However, spring lawn is not always perfect. Patches of bare spots and thin grass stands are common this year due to a lack of snow cover to provide insulation to surface roots. To repair the damaged areas, consider the following reseeding options and best management practices:
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How To Prevent Dog Urine Spots On Lawns
To help prevent dog urine spots around your lawn, the best plan of attack is to train your pooch to relieve himself in a specific area of your yard.1 Mulch an area of your landscape with natural wood mulch so it blends in well and Fido can urinate somewhere other than on your grass. Dogs usually respond well to the extra attention and praise that using their special spot brings.
Avoid using mulch made from cocoa bean hulls, even though it smells nice and chocolaty and looks good. Cocoa bean hulls can be toxic to your canine friend if he decides to investigate that smell and see how things tasteand he probably will.
Some pet stores and even vet clinics offer dietary supplements that promise to change the nitrogen content or pH of dog urine. However, there is no scientific evidence that these products work. Some of these supplements are known to cause urinary system problems and other dangerous issues for some pets, such as calcium deposits in young dogs.1
Dont Let Your Lawn Get Too Dry In The Summer
Watering is only half the battle when it comes to growing healthy grass in hot weather.
If you dont water often enough, your lawn will be more likely to get dry and die out in places than if you were watering it regularly.
Make sure to check how often and how much water your lawn needs before deciding how often to water it.
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Why Dog Urine Burns Grass
Even though your pet is man’s best friend and loves your lawn as much as you do, dog urine natural wreaks havoc on grass, leaving burned, bare lawn spots or discolored grass behind. Dog urine lawn spots happen because of the high amount of nitrogen and related salts naturally contained in dog urine.1
Female dogs often get blamed for dog urine burning grass, but their urine is no different than that of male dogs.2 When concentrated urine collects in a single area, lawn damage happens. It’s a lot like fertilizer burn.
All dogs that squat to urinate, including females, puppies, elderly dogs, small dogs and some adult males, can burn grass when they urinate in one concentrated area. Because most male dogs lift a leg to “mark” their territory with spurts, they spread their urine over a larger lawn area, so not as many dog urine spots result.
Minor lawn damage due to dog urine spots often resolves on its own as healthy new growth emerges in your lawn.2 However, areas that your dog frequents for urination will typically need dog urine spot repair.
There Are Ugly Brown Spots On My Lawn
Okay, to be honest, this ones a little more complicated, because there are several things that could be causing the spots. Possible culprits range from grubs or fungus to foot traffic, weed dieback, and dog urine. So, before you grab a product and start spreading or spraying, its important to identify what the problem is.
- If critters like raccoons and skunks have begun digging in your yard, or the dead patches of grass lift up like loose carpet, chances are you have grubs. Check out section 4 below to find out what to do.
- Spots caused by dog urine tend to have brown centers with green outer rings. Get rid of them with Scotts® EZ Seed® Dog Spot Repair Sun and Shade .
- Fungus tends to cause irregular patches of yellow or straw-colored grass that can range in size and shape. To fight back, apply Scotts® DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide, will control a variety of fungal diseases for up to 4 weeks. Be sure to follow label directions.
- For brown spots caused by foot traffic or areas of dead weeds, a product like Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair will do the trick.
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Add Fresh Compost To The Soil Under Your Lawn
Fresh compost will help add nutrients back into the soil and improve its overall health and structure.
It will also attract worms and other small organisms that help break down organic matter and release nutrients into the soil for plants to use.
You can usually buy fresh compost from a garden center or waste management company.
How To Id Lawn Insect And Lawn Fungus Problems
How do you know if the brown spots in your lawn are caused by the heat or something else ?
Are the brown grass blades mixed in with the green grass blades in no particular pattern almost like the lawn is dry, yet you have been getting rainfall? This could be an insect problem or your lawn could be starving if it has been more than a few months since the last feeding. One clue to look for with insects is the presence of lawn moths when you mow. The moths do not damage your lawn, however they lay eggs for sod webworm, cutworm and other lawn damaging insects. Chinchbug damage also looks like the grass in this photo. Solution: Feed and protect your lawn with an application of Turf Builder with SummerGuard. Be sure to water after spreading. If your lawn does not need feeding, apply Ortho Bug B Gon MAX.
Are the brown spots following a particular pattern such as a circle? Within the circle the problem may start with some of the grass blades turning brown with spots on them. There are a range of lawn fungus problems like dollar spot, brown patch, red thread and summer patch that show up as circular patches in your lawn. These problems can crop up when you are getting higher temps during day and night and more rain and humidity. Solution: Treat your lawn with Scotts Lawn Fungus Control.
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How To Patch Your Lawn
Learn how easy it is to repair bare spots for a prettier lawn.
Grass seed plays an important role in helping you maintain a beautiful, thick, green lawn. When you need seed for your lawn, its important to consider the type of project you have and choose the correct grass seed product for your needs.
For bare spots, an ideal product is Scotts® EZ Seed®. Designed by turf scientists, it combines three high-quality components that work in harmony: premium grass seed, a special slow-release fertilizer, and a revolutionary growing material. Together, these three ingredients will grow grass anywhere, guaranteed*.
Heres how to apply :
- First, take a hand rake and start to break up the soil. Loosen it, pulling out any rocks or other debris, so the grass seedlings will have an easier time building good roots.
- Next, apply a thin, even layer of Scotts® EZ Seed® according to label directions. You wont need to put too much down, as it will expand.
- Now, gently but thoroughly water until both the Scotts® EZ Seed®youve applied and the soil underneath are saturated and no more moisture is being absorbed. Until the seedlings reach at least two inches tall, water daily as needed to keep the area moist. Youll know the patched areas need water when they turn light brown.
Another approach is to use Scotts® Sprouts, which uses a mix of seed, fertilizer, and mulch to start the growing process in the bag for super-quick results.
Heres how to apply:
Why Is My Grass Brown
Brown spots in grass have various causes. Some of the most common include:
- Dormant Grass: Grass, especially in northern climates, will go dormant during long droughts. This state of dormancy is a survival mechanism and will turn the grass a brownish color. After a good watering, either from rain or a sprinkler system, the dormant grass will turn green again.
- Pet Spots: Dog urine spots, or pet spots, are caused by Fido using the bathroom in one concentrated spot on your lawn. The chemicals in the urine can damage or kill the grass. If you cant train your pet to go elsewhere, rinse the area with water when it has finished doing its business.
- Thatch: Thereâs a layer between your grass and soil composed of organic matter like dead grass, leaves, etc. This is called thatch and, while a little bit is beneficial, too much of it can starve your soil of water and oxygen.
- Lawn Fungus: There are many different lawn fungus types that attack and kill your grass. Like other types of fungus, they thrive in cool, moist, shaded environments. Well talk more about them below.
- Dead Grass: If dormant grass goes too long without water or lawn fungus is left untreated, the grass will eventually die. You can tell whether grass is dead or dormant by pulling on it. If it comes out easily, it is dead.
Out of those common causes of brown spots in grass, lawn fungus is the most sinister . Thats why well cover how to prevent and treat lawn diseases below.
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How To Build Up Your Turf
Maybe the problem with your lawn isnt just a few dead patches, but instead is weak, thin grass throughout the lawn. In that case, apply a fertilizer product for thick, green grass. A single application with a spreader distributes the seed, fertilizer and soil improver that will improve your turf.
Whether you need the right planters, seeds or potting soil, The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.
Related Products
How To Fix The Problem
Black Beauty UltraMost similar to what is grown on sod farms. The seed mixture contains exclusive, elite varieties of tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. These cool-season grasses grow a naturally dark-green and beautiful lawn with excellent heat and drought tolerance. Black Beauty Ultra® grass seed germinates in about 14 days and will improve any lawn it is overseeded into.
Black Beauty Fall MagicSpecially formulated for successful fall seeding after Labor Day. It contains several cool-season grass types, including Black Beauty® tall fescues. Use it in sunny and shady lawn areas on established lawns or to start a new lawn from scratch. Black Beauty® Fall Magic germinates in about 14 days and provides an attractive, thicker, greener lawn.
Love Your SoilBefore overseeding, its important to encourage good seed-to-soil contact. Clean out the dead grass, remove weeds, and get rid of rocks, sticks, or other debris. Loosens compacted soil and aerate it to give the new roots a better chance to grow. It will also feed the soil microbes, making the soil more alive and porous, and enhance root development
MAG-I-CALUse a soil pH tester to ensure that the soil pH is between 6.2 and 7.0. To balance the pH and help the lawn grow greener and healthier. It can be applied the same day as you introduce the grass seed.
Discover how to repair bald spots in your lawn by visiting Gasper today and speak with one of our team members for reliable lawn and garden advice!
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Do Not Water Too Much Or Too Little
If you arent watering enough, your grass wont be able to grow properly because it needs water in order for its roots to reach out into the ground and grab nutrients from the soil.
However, watering too much can cause problems as well because overwatering leaves your lawn susceptible to diseases like fungal leaf spot which can reduce its vigor and ability to grow healthy roots.
Try watering once every 2-3 days for 10 minutes at a time during the summer months depending on how hot it is outside and how dry it is outside as well this should be sufficient but not excessive watering for most lawns.
When winter rolls around, stop watering altogether unless there has been heavy rain or snowfall in which case you should hold off until the next day before watering again so that your lawn doesnt get soggy overnight this could cause root rot if left untreated so make sure you keep an eye on how wet or dry your lawn gets during winter months!
