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.
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.
How To Fix Dead Grass Is It Dead Or Dormant
Whether youve had an intensely hot summer, left on vacation for a few weeks, or had a pet leave spots on your lawn, nobody likes to see yellowed or brown killed grass on their lawn. Your homes curb appeal can tell a story to guests and neighbors, so its important to keep your lawn in high standing as much as possible.
When exposed to extreme heat, extended cold, or minimal water over a period of time, grass begins to dry, recede, and eventually die if proper growing conditions arent restored.
This dormancy happens because the grass is trying to preserve itself with limited resources, so it focuses on maintaining the rooting rather than the surface grass. Fortunately, before total death there is a period of dormancy where your lawn is just waiting to come back to life with proper treatment.
If your grass is actually dead, then here is the basic process to fix it:
- Begin a new lawn by raking the dead grass up so that youre left with just the soil.
- Spread seed so that they land firmly in the soil you tilled.
- Apply natural or chemical fertilizer to get it off on the right foot, and water & mulch it with healthy grass clippings or leaves for additional nutrients.
- Maintain it with proper sunlight & water so that it can grow. It may be a bit uneven to start, but give it a few weeks before you add another layer of seeds spots that havent grown.
But, is your grass dead or is it dormant? Lets find out read on!
In This Article:
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How Do I Make My Grass Green Without Weeds
Grass SeedTest Your Soil. Roots depend on healthy, nutritious soil to grow green and lush grass. Fertilize Your Lawn. A big part of knowing how to make your lawn greener is choosing the right fertilizer. Kill Weeds and Unwanted Insects. Use Grass Seed. Water Your Lawn. Aerate Your Lawn. Replace Lawn Mower Blades.
Reasons Your Lawn Is Full Of Weeds
Starting out, you probably want to know just why weeds have overtaken your grass, so you can prevent it from happening again.
- Poor grass growth: Weeds thrive in thinning grass. The best way to keep weeds out is to have thick, tall, dense grass all over your lawn. If your grass is cut too short, its more susceptible to a full-on weed invasion. Setting your mower to the highest setting can help with this.
- Not enough water: Weeds tend to have robust root systems, and can easily compete with your grass for moisture. If you are not watering your grass enough, the weeds can absorb what water there is, taking it away from your grassroots.
- Compacted soil: If your soil becomes too compacted, whether from excessive foot traffic or poor soil composition, your grassroots wont have access to the nutrients, water, or air they need. This stressed turf makes for an exceptional weed breeding ground.
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How To Check Whether The Grass Is Dead Or Dormant
There is always some confusion in the lawn owners head when he sees brown grass on the lawn. Is the grass dead or is it dormant? How will you determine it?;
The main thing to determine first if the grass is dormant or dead is to see what season your lawn is in and what is the pattern in which brown grass is occurring. Lets see in detail how you can determine if the grass is dead or dormant.
- Check grass type
- Look for the pattern of patches
- See if your region is currently facing a drought;
- Pull the grass and observe if still unsure
How To Fix Dog Pee Spots On Lawns
Fortunately, dog urine grass repair is a quick and easy lawn fix;with the right information and lawn repair products. It helps to understand the types of urine spots dogs cause on lawns. Two types trouble dog owners most: green spots and brown spots. Dog urine causes both types, but the reasons and remedies are different.
Because your dog’s urine is naturally high in nitrogenan essential plant nutrientFido’s favorite spots can become greener than the surrounding grass. This happens primarily on grass that hasn’t had enough nitrogen from fertilizer.4 Your whole lawn could be that same rich color if it had the extra nitrogen it needs.
To determine if your grass lacks available nutrients due to soil pH or other reasons, take a soil sample and have it tested. Correct low nitrogen in your lawn by applying Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer 34-0-4 every 60 to 90 days through the growing season, or as recommended by your soil testing lab. This fertilizer increases drought tolerance, which is very similar to tolerance to urine salts, while boosting nutrient uptake for a lush, green lawn.
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Problem: Persistently Thin Patchy Grass Solution: Get A Soil Test
Chronic lawn problems are often about the soil, not the actual grass. Having a soil test done is the best $10 to $15 you can spend. Home and garden centers sell DIY kits, but we recommend working with your local cooperative extension , whose experts will pinpoint your soils pH level and identify any missing nutrients. Theyll also prescribe the best course of treatment, for example spreading limestone if the soil is acidic or sulfur if its overly alkaline. Its prudent to do a soil test every few years, though if you just moved into a new home, you may want to do one annually, at least until the desired results start to show.
How Can I Protect My Lawn When The Grass Turns Brown
You can take care of a brown lawn by limiting further stress on grass plants. Mow less often, or not at all, during a drought. If you do mow, set the mower height higher than normal at about 3 ½ inches. Tall blades of grass shade the soil, which reduces evaporation and retains moisture. When grass is dormant or beginning to grow again, its best not to walk on it.
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Second: Aerate The Lawn
Walking across the lawn, playing on it, pushing the wheelbarrow over it; eventually all traffic causes compaction of the soil, especially on heavy clay soils where the tiny particles are inclined to stick together, As soon as the ground is moist enough aerate the lawn by spiking it. This can be achieved using a garden fork pushed into the surface to a depth of 10-15cm at frequent intervals. Alternatively you can use a lawn aerating tool or spiker.
Traditionally a lawn dressing is applied after spiking. However, on heavy soils you can achieve great results using Vitax Clay breaker. This is a granular treatment you scatter across the lawn after aeration. Rake with a plastic lawn rake and the granules drop into the holes and Clay Breaker gets to work beneath the surface conditioning the soil and improving the growing conditions for grass roots.
Test And Fertilize The Soil
To prepare the soil for new sod or grass seed, you need to determine the nutrient levels and adjust them to create the ideal environment for new grass. The best way to find out what your soil needs is to take a sample to your nearest Extension Office for testing. Many offices charge a small fee and return results in just a few days. Results from an Extension Office are often more useful than an at-home test because they usually include fertilizing recommendations. Once you know what your soil needs, go to your local garden store to find the right fertilizer and apply it to your lawn.
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I Think There Are Grubs In My Lawn
If youve spotted more than a few fat, C-shaped grubs in your soil when digging, youll need to take action. Heres the lifecycle: Beetles emerge in early summer, feed on plants, then lay eggs in the soil. The eggs hatch in late summer as grubs, and then go to town eating plant and grass roots. The best way to stop this cycle is to treat the lawn before the grubs hatch. This means applying Scotts® GrubEx® in spring or early summer. Simply set and fill your spreader and apply it to a dry lawn, following the directions on the label, then water to activate the product. To learn more about controlling grubs in your lawn, check out How to Control Lawn Grubs.
How To Tell If Your Lawn Is Overwatered
If your lawn is overwatered, then the water will fail to soak into the soil properly. If you walk on the lawn and the ground feels soft and spongy, then the soil has been saturated with water, and no more can soak in due to overwatering. Similarly, if the soil looks wet and shiny or you can see puddles or standing water in the grass, then the lawn has been significantly overwatered as the water is not soaking into the ground properly. If thereâs visible runoff into your driveway or the street beside your lawn, then you have also overwatered your lawn, and the excess water is flowing away.
Excess water flows through the soil, carrying nutrients with it. As such, if the water flows out of your lawn and into the road or driveway, then it will carry the nutrients out of the soil, leaving the grass plants starved and unable to grow healthily and properly. In this case, the grass will lose its vibrant, healthy green color, fading to a pale green or even a yellowish tone in extreme cases due to lack of nitrogen in the soil for it to absorb.
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My Lawn Has Bare Spots
If, on the other hand, your grass is in generally good condition but has a few bare spots, youll want to take a different approach. You can get those areas growing again with Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair or Scotts® Sprouts.
EZ Seed® has a unique combination of Scotts® high performance seed, premium continuous release lawn food, and super-absorbent growing material. You loosen the soil with a rake, spread the seeds according to the package directions, and water daily until new grass seedlings are 2 tall .
With Sprouts, you start the growing process in the bag. Just add 3 cups of water, wait 3 days for the seeds to sprout, and then spread the already growing grass onto any bare spots. Following the label directions, you should see grass pop up in 1 to 2 days.
Learn How To Restore A Lawn In Eight Simple Steps
Bare spots. Dead grass. Lawn full of weeds. Its enough to make you give up hope on ever having a beautiful green yard. But, with a little work and a few growing seasons, you can restore your yard into that plot of healthy green grass youve always wanted.
Ready to fix a weedy lawn and get your green grass back? Lets get started.
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Reviving A Dead Lawn: A 7
When it comes to your outdoor space, nothing can be quite as disheartening as watching your once-green lawn turn a crispy brown and die.
There are several reasons your lawn might bite the dust, including pests, disease, poor preparation and installation techniques, improper watering and feeding, or the wrong type of grass for the environment. Of course, figuring out what caused your grass to die is the first and most important step in reviving a dead lawn and ending up with a soft carpet of healthy green grass.
S For Regrowing Lawn Grass
If you want some tips on how to regrow your lawn grass, take a look at our short guide below:
Step 1
The first thing you should do is remove as much burnt grass as you can. The easiest way to do it is to start thatching with a rake and try to get rid of all the brittle grass.
In case the patch is too big, you can always rip off the whole area.
Step 2
Once the area is cleared, start filling it with soil until it levels with the surface. Lay down one layer of any lawn fixer which is a mixture of certain ingredients to fill the empty areas. Again, this can be done by using a rake for distributing the mixture evenly.
Step 3
It is important to water the mixture daily. If you dont have the time to maintain it, we suggest getting an automatic irrigation system.
Step 4
After a certain period of time, youll see that the grass will start growing. In case there a few patches are still visible, throw in more seeds and water regularly.
Do not forget to cover up the seeds with straws to protect them from birds or insects.
Step 5
Even when the grass has grown, take heed not to give up the hard work of maintaining your lawn. It will still require attention and care.
Once the grass is green and healthy, you can start mowing it.
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Ways To Save On Lawn Care
Add compost. This will improve your soil and eliminate pests and diseases, which means less money spent on fertilizer and water. Apply a quarter-inch of top-dressing compost once or twice a year, including right after your lawn has greened up. Going over the lawn with an aerator first will help mix the organic matter into the soil.
Water wisely. An established lawn needs about 1 inch of water per week in the growing season. A light daily watering will encourage shallow root systems. Instead, water thoroughly once a week, using a 1-inch deep empty tuna can as a makeshift measuring device. Early morning is best, say before 8 a.m., when evaporation rates are low and more water is absorbed into the soil. Also, dont be afraid to let grass turn brown during dry spells. Most species can easily go a month without water. Its time to water again when the grass goes from tan-brown to straw-colored.
Mulch, dont bag. Your grass clippings are a free source of slow-release fertilizer, so let the mower discharge the clippings back onto your grass rather than bagging them. This can cut fertilizer costs by up to 30 percent. The only time to bag clippings is when your lawn is having a disease breakout, often signaled by irregular brown patches or rings in the lawn.
S After Seeding The Lawn
Rake After seeding the lawn, raking the soil is very important. Raking helps the seeds to get covered with a thin layer of soil which helps the seed to be cool and moist, helping in the germination and providing essential nutrients from the soil. It also provides the security of the seeds from birds and animals which eat seeds.;
Water After raking water the soil very lightly to keep the soil moist. Dont water heavily as it can make the seeds float and drain out from the lawn. Light water the lawn 3-4 times a day to keep the soil moist throughout the day for a week.
After the first week, water your lawn once a day and increase the duration and after the second week slowly decrease the frequency and increase the duration of the watering until you water your lawn once a week with 1 inch of water.
This will ensure healthy growth of the roots in the soil which will make it heat and drought resistant and make your lawn thick and healthy.;
Maintain Now you have completed the process of reseeding the lawn but the job is not done yet. You need to properly maintain the lawn to keep it healthy and thick and to see if the problem is occurring again or not. Maintain the lawn with proper mowing, regular watering, and proper fertilization of the lawn. Mowing, watering, and fertilization are the key to a healthy and perfect lawn.;
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