Every homeowner dreams of a lush, green lawn, but to have beautiful landscaping, you (or your groundskeeping partner) will need to put in the time and effort to develop and maintain your yard. Let’s look at 10 of the most common lawn problems homeowners face and how to fix them.
1. Bare Spots
When areas that should be covered in grass appear bald or bare, your lawn is in need of repair and restoration. Whether the bare areas are due to heavy foot traffic or disease, fixing bare spots is a fairly simple process.
- Dig up the affected area as well as a few inches of lawn surrounding the bare spot
- Rake and till the area
- Add in fresh topsoil and reseed
2. Compacted Soil
When areas of your grass have little to no aeration, the area may be compacted and show evidence of thatch. The solution is to aerate.
- Rent a “plug” machine
- Run it over the lawn to remove small chunks from the soil
- Once the plugs have dried, mow over them to return them to soil
3. Crabgrass
This annual weed thrives in compacted lawns, and it will push out healthy grass making crabgrass highly problematic for lawn care. In order to rid your yard of crabgrass, use either a preemergent or post-emergent weed control approach.
- Preemergent Options: apply non-chemical cornmeal 14 days before the expected last frost or an herbicide when the spring temperatures rise to 52 degrees (and be sure to water immediately)
- Post-emergent Options: pull crabgrass to the roots as they appear or use a natural vinegar spray to kill those that grow and then reseed thinned or bare spots where the crabgrass was removed
4. Dry Spots
When one area of the lawn is dried out but others are not, a few problems could be the culprit in this lawn care dilemma.
- Check for broken or improperly adjusted sprinklers in the area. Replace, repair or readjust sprinklers as needed or call Red Shovel Landscaping for same day service to help.
- Inspect the area for evidence of compacted soil that will minimize the water soil is able to absorb. If compacted soil or thatch is found, treat the affected area and surrounding grass.
5. Fungus
Dry or dead spots that appear and grow quickly can be a result of a fungus.
- Reduce the amount of water applied to the lawn or reduce or change the volume of fertilizer used.
6. Moles
When small pests like moles invade your yard, their burrowing nature can create dangerous ridges in the lawn that can damage the roots of plants. If you suspect your yard has moles,
- Call a pest control specialist like Red Shovel Landscaping to help
- Eliminate grubs to reduce the mole’s natural food source
- Set out traps to capture them
7. Pet Damage
Our pets can leave behind urine damage in our yards that leave the grass brown from repeated use. To avoid long-term pet damage:
- Create a dedicated area for pet waste
- Treat affected areas by digging up browned and nearby grass, tilling up dirt and reseeding the area to promote new growth
8. Striped Lawn
When a lawn appears striped with healthy and yellow or brown grass in between, homeowners can fix this with a few strategies.
- Use overlapping passes with fertilizer application so all areas of the lawn will be treated similarly
- Call for professional groundskeeping with Red Shovel Landscaping
9. White Grubs and Insects
Commonly seen in the fall, yards with dead spots in irregular patterns may be caused by white grubs and insects that are feeding on grass roots. Since grubs and insects can become a food source for other animal invaders like armadillos or gophers, utilizing a pest control strategy to quickly remove them is key.
- In late spring or early spring, apply Imidacloprid or predatory nematodes
10. Yellow Nutsedge
When this invasive weed arrives in your yard, it will starve out your healthy grass quickly by competing for nutrients and light all season long. Rapid, consistent weed control can help save your lawn from this invasive species.
- Pull out the nutsedge by the root since the tubers can last for 3 years underground
- Apply selective herbicides specifically for sedge
