What Is Wrong With My Lawn

What’s Wrong With My Lawn 5 Common Lawn Problems For Central & Southern Md

Dealing with lawn issues can certainly be frustrating, especially when you dont know whats going on. One day, your lawn may look just fine. Then life gets busy. And a few days later, youre finally spending time in your lawn again and you notice things dont look quite right. And its not always just weeds that are the enemy. You have to keep your eye out for pests, fungal diseases, and even drought. Got a strange brown spot or mysterious dry patch plaguing your lawn? Have no idea what kind of splotchy monster is starting to take over? No sweat. While well-established and maintained lawns are quite resilient, even the best kept lawn can be vulnerable. And you just want it to look good. We understand. And were here to help. Here are 5 common lawn problems that might mean your yard is experiencing some trouble and how to recognize, prevent and treat the related causes.

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.

Q & A: Why Is My Lawn Lumpy

So, if you enjoy walking on your lawn, you may be a bit unsteady if your yard has lumps and bumps. What makes it lumpy? Here are some reasons:

• You have moles or voles tunneling underground

• Tree roots that make the lawn unsteady

• If you live in Colorado, it may be night crawlers and earthworms .

You can solve your lumpy lawn problem by using a lawn roller to push down earthworm and mole/vole tunnels since theyre shallow. For tree roots, add mulch around the root collar without volcanoing the mulch around the trunk.

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How Can I Prevent Or Improve Drought Symptoms

Seeing as drought is caused by a lack of water, the best thing you can do to prevent or improve drought symptoms is to water your lawn. When watering your lawn, keep in mind:

• Lawns typically require 1 – 1.5 inches of water per week, and more when temperatures are more severe.

• Lawns should be watered early in the morning to reduce evaporation waste which occurs in the afternoon and to prevent lawn disease from standing water in the evening.

• Water deeply and infrequently. This is the best way to encourage deep, healthy root growth, making your lawn more drought tolerant.

• If your lawn has become dormant, it will green up when the cooler weather and rain returnsdo not try to water it back to life.

Proper mowing practices are also important, especially during the hot summer months. Before mowing, make sure your lawn really needs it. If your lawn has stopped growing or looks dry and brown, it should not be mowed. If your lawn does need to be mowed, however, remember the following:

• Ensure that your mower blade is sharp. Dull mower blades will tear the grass plats, making your lawn look unhealthy and leaving it vulnerable to turf disease.

• Set your mower blade to the highest setting, as longer turf will protect the roots from the summer sun.

Overexposure Or Underexposure To Sunlight

What are Lighting Problems?

A lack of light or too much light can cause lawn problems and lawn diseases. Some types of turf grasses do require certain amounts of sunlight to thrive and flourish.

A lack of light can cause moisture issues as evaporation is lessened or it can stunt the growth of your lawn where the process of photosynthesis would be affected.

Too much direct light can scorch your turf where prolonged exposure to heat can damage and shock your turf, leaving it unable to grow and thrive to its full potential.

How to Control Lighting Problems

It is recommended to plant turf varieties that will easily tolerate the lighting conditions in your landscape. There are many species of grass and turf that are more shade tolerant or hardier when it comes to exposure to harsher lighting.

Turf varieties such as Sir Walter Buffalo grass or ground cover species like bishops hat or sweet woodruff can be excellent turf alternatives for more challenging environments.

Be sure to chat to your local turf suppliers for professional advice on the best options for your lawn. Once you have chosen the turf youll use, be sure to check our guide on How to Lay Turf should you want to do it on your own.

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Problem: Crabgrass Invasion Solution: A Multi

Youre smart to tackle this pesky weed. Besides being an eyesore, crabgrass typically dies off at the first frost, promoting soil erosion. Applying corn gluten meal, a natural alternative to chemical herbicide, in early spring can help contain the problem. Follow with a spring fertilizer. As the mowing season begins, dont cut the grass too short, since this can open the door again for crabgrass. Set the deck on your mower or tractor to around 3½ inches. Most decks have notches, not inches, so getting the height just right can take some trial and error.

How To Deal With Common Lawn Problems

How to diagnose lawn problems like grubs, dog damage, dry spots, moss, and more.

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Weeds arent the only thing standing between you and the lush lawn of your dreams. Once your turf is established, youve got to watch for pests, fungal diseasesand even Fido. Got a mysterious brown spot or dry patch plaguing your grass?

Don’t worry about it. You can make your yard beautiful again. Here are 8 common problems, along with symptoms and remedies for each one.

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A Summary Of How To Fix Lawnmower Problems

Being informed about how to repair a lawnmower can help you save time and money. Maintaining a mower is the only secret to avoid these problems. Below is a summary of tips on how to keep a mower in good condition:

Ensure the lawnmower replacement parts you use are correct. Clean the blade more often. Remember to pull the plug to prevent the blades from moving when cleaning them. Following the manufacturers guide when oiling the moving parts. Change the oil as recommended. Change the oil as per the manufacturers instructions. Use the right type of fuel. Recharge the lawnmower batteries as per the stated guidelines and avoid overcharging them. Service the mower as per the manufacturers recommendations.

Machines tend to develop problems when in use because they are not meant to work properly forever. The most important thing is to identify the problem and take the necessary measures to solve such issues. Like any other device, lawnmowers require to be maintained regularly for them to function correctly. If the problem is severe, consider moving your mower to the nearest mower repair professional.

Make Your Lawn The Envy Of The Block With Consumer Reports’ Expert Advice

If the lawn outside your window is giving you the blues, join the club. After a brutal winter walloped much of the country, our Facebook and Twitter feeds have been buzzing with lawn care woes from exasperated homeowners . Fortunately, many of the most common problems have fairly straightforward fixes, as youre about to read. And just in case your yard is already the envy of the block, our experts have advice on money-saving tips, the right and wrong ways to fertilize, plus results from our latest tests of mowers, tractors, and more.

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Problem: Ugly Bald Sports Solution: Start From Scratch

Weeds love bare patches, so if you dont act quickly, they will. Springs cool, wet weather is conducive to growing many types of turfgrass. Start by digging up the damaged section, plus 6 inches of surrounding, healthy lawn, cutting about 2 inches deep. Then level the soil and add a small amount of soil amendment, such as a plant-based compost, and starter fertilizer. If youre using seed, cover it lightly with straw and keep the ground moist until germination. For sod, which is about 10 times more expensive than seed but tends to work better, cut a section to fit, press it into place, and water frequently until it takes root.

What’s Wrong With My Lawn How To Identify Common Texas Turf Grass Problems That Aren’t Caused By Disease

Lawns are pretty resilient. We walk all over them and regularly cut them in half with a lawn mower. But the grasses in our lawns are still living, growing plants and there are a number of problems that can come up when we’re trying to grow them. They can be injured, or the growing conditions could hurt them, or they might get a disease.

Turf grass disease is a big enough topic it deserves its own post, so today let’s focus on problems that aren’t caused by diseases. If you notice your lawn grass looking damaged, dry and brittle or if it stops growing, then the non-disease problems are the ones you’ll want to check first. The good news is these problems are pretty easy to fix.

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Moles Voles And Other Critters

Signs: A pattern of ridges, and potentially dying lawn at the perimeter of your lot.

Mole damage is easy to spot. They create tunnels just under the lawn surface, pushing the ground up and creating unsightly ridges, often killing the grass in their path. Mowing over the lumps can scalp the grass, exacerbating the problem. The best way to rid your lawn of moles is by trapping them or using baits like Talpirid or Victor Bait Pellets.

Skunks and raccoons also can damage or even kill your lawn as they dig for grubs and other food. Dont worry about animals like voles that merely cause cosmetic problems, like early spring runways in the grass. These areas will grow back on their own.

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.

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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.

The Grass Could Always Be Greener Or Less Weedy Or Patchy Depending Read On For The Top 10 Grass Problems As Identified By A Longtime Lawn Care Pro

If you have a lawn, chances are you have some sort of lawn problem possibly several. Some may be naturally occurring others you may have accidentally had a hand in. Identifying the problem and understanding its source is the first course of action that sets you on a path to a greener, healthier lawn.

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Solving Lawn Problems With A Professional

At Joshua Tree, we have helped many homeowners in the Allentown, Lansdale, and Collegeville, PA areas with all of these frustrations at some point or another. In fact, its quite common for homeowners to have more than one lawn problem at the same time. To get your lawn back on track, the proper diagnosis of one or more problems will be key.

If you find yourself asking Can my lawn be saved?, then we want to be available to help. After all, you ought to be able to get answers to your questions so that you can get your lawn back on track to looking its best.

If youd like to find out more about how our lawn care service, which includesthree options to fit your budget, can give you the results you desire, contact us for afree consultation or give us a call at 610-365-2200 so we can answer your questions.

Q & A: Why Is My Lawn Grass Turning Brown

There are many reasons why your lawn grass is turning brown, such as

• The grass roots are shallow

• There is a drought or a string of hot days

• Your sprinkler system is not reaching all the parts of your lawn

• You have pets urinating on your lawn

• Various lawn diseases especially if you live in hot and humid climates

• Too many weeds competing with turfgrass for nutrition and moisture

• Youre using too much fertilizer, weed control or insect control

Here are some things you can do to pinpoint whats causing your lawn to turn brown:

• Check your lawn sprinkler to make sure all the heads are popping up and reaching to the next spray head area.

• Do a soil test to see what nutrients are missing and to test the pH of the soil.

• Cut a square foot of turf away from the soil and see if you have any of the above insects chewing on grassroots.

• You may be cutting your lawn too low. Allow it to grow longer and raise your mower to take off one-third of the grass blades each time you mow.

• Make sure your mower has sharp blades each time you cut your grass. Dull blades give a blunt cut introducing diseases into your yard grass.

• Your lawn may need to be aerated, dethatched and overseeded.

• Cut back on the chemicals youre using on your lawn.

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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.

And Keep Them From Coming Back

Tougher, more resilient grasses and better ways to fend off crabgrass and other weeds and pests should make it easier than ever to get a lush, healthy lawn. So why do so many people still have lawn problemsand how do you get rid of them?

We asked our on-staff experts and turf scientists across the country to identify some of the most common lawn weeds, pests, and diseases nationwide, as well as the most common mistakes homeowners make in dealing with them.

Even if your lawn already makes the neighbors green with envy, you’re likely to face a few of those common lawn problems. Knowing how to handle them can mean the difference between working on your lawn and simply enjoying it.

The best way to keep your lawn looking great year after year is to fertilize, water, and mow it properly. While you’ll find a plethora of chemical herbicides and pesticides, the healthiest lawns resist weeds and pests without them. An online survey of our readers conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center revealed what workedand didn’t workfor them and their lawn services.

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