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  Diagnosing and Managing Brown Spots on Your Lawn
If there are brown spots on your lawn, repairing them and preventing them from returning can be an exercise in frustration. Even though all of these spots may look the same, each one may be caused by a different factor – meaning that you probably won’t be able to treat each brown spot in the same way. However, the reasons that these spots develop are fairly predictable. Read on for some of the most common causes – and treatments – for lawn brown spots:
Dog Urine:
Unfortunately, many people walk their dogs on the first lawn that they can find. While this isn’t the dog's fault, chemicals in their urine can cause the grass in the affected areas to die off. If you see a dog walker on your lawn, try to find out who they are and politely advise them that they are trespassing on private property and causing damage to your lawn. Let them know that they’ll receive a bill from you as a result of any repairs you need to make. Most accidental offenders will steer clear of your lawn in the future.
Improper Mowing Height:
Even if the ground beneath your lawn feels level, small bumps and rises can result in grass being clipped too close to the soil in some areas. As a result, brown spots will develop. If you notice small mounds in your lawn, see if you can level them out with a shovel and – if necessary – replant grass in the affected areas. If you can’t flatten the area, you may also want to see if you can find varieties of grass that can tolerate the shorter clipping height.
Over-Feeding, Over-Watering, and Poor Soil Aeration:
Surprisingly enough, too much nitrogen – a common ingredient in most fertilizers – can cause your grass to turn brown. In addition, if there’s too much water on the surface of your lawn, bacterial and fungal infections will flourish. In addition, clay soils or ones that have become packed down by foot traffic will not allow enough air to circulate to the roots. This will cause grass plants to die off. You may need to aerate your lawn twice a year to alleviate this situation. Our Lawn Manager can give you advice on the best tools to use for this job.
Managing Lawn Care During A Drought:
As water supplies around the world continue to feel the pinch of decreased winter snowfall and increased community needs, drought conditions will only become more frequent. In many parts of the country, as soon as a town or county declares a drought situation, you won’t be able to water your lawn. Unfortunately, your lawn will do very poorly without at least one inch of rain or water per week. That said, there are a number of things you can do to prepare your lawn for drought conditions.
Raise Height of Lawn Mower Blade:
Bare or poorly protected soil is much warmer that soil protected by shade and tall plants. The warmer the soil temperature is, the faster water will evaporate from it. Therefore, you can reduce your water usage by not clipping your lawn as often and by leaving the grass clippings on the ground to help provide shade to the soil and retain moisture.
As weather patterns continue to become more erratic and municipal water supplies reach critical levels, maintaining a healthy lawn is going to become more difficult. Drought situations in particular can quickly create a situation where you can’t protect all the time and money you’ve put into your lawn. However, with a little bit of preventive maintenance and seasonal strategies, you can still have a beautiful lawn – whatever the weather.
Liquid Soil Aerators:
Similar to earthworms, liquid soil aerators loosen the soil around and below the roots of your grass plants. When you walk on your lawn, you compress the soil with each footstep. In addition, years of grass buildup creates a thatch that often suffocates new grass shoots and prevents adequate water penetration near the roots. Thatch removers and soil aerators can help alleviate both problems. In addition – if your local area is under drought conditions – these products will help hold what little water you are able to give your lawn at the root level where it’s needed the most.
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