Why Your Grass Is Growing In Patchy And How To Easily Fix It

Whether it is backyard barbecues or playing catch with the kids, the vast majority of folks desire to be greeted by a lush, green lawn when they step outside. This is why the American spends at least a few hours weekly and hundreds of dollars annually maintaining and caring for their lawn. However, quite often, despite these efforts (or perhaps because of them), backyard aficionados are mortified when they find their lawn splotched with brown or bare patches. While there are a myriad of reasons this may be happening in your backyard, there is a fix for almost every possible problem causing these unsightly blemishes.

The first step in reviving your lawn is to identify the cause of the issue, which can range from fungal infections to dog urine. Once the cause is determined, a plan of action can be put into place. Again, more often than not, those actions involve the relatively simple practice of starting or stopping a part of your lawn maintenance routine. In fact, the very process of accurately identifying the cause of these spots in your yard very much involves reviewing your lawn maintenance practices, as well as the physical characteristics of your lawn. At times, the solution is as simple as not leaving objects like toys or chairs in one spot too long or training your pet to relieve themselves elsewhere so their urine doesn't result in brown spots.

With that said, there are a few issues that may arise which require more complex solutions. For example, if you are seeing quite a few bare or brown patches in heavily shaded areas, altering your maintenance routine will do little, if anything, to help. In this instance, trimming trees and bushes to allow more sunlight or mixing in a more shade tolerant variety of grass are your only real hopes. Similarly, an area with heavy traffic may require a more hardy type of grass. Additionally, there are some issues, unfortunately, for which nothing can be done immediately. For instance, if dormancy is the cause, the only solution is to wait until the seasons change and your lawn once again turns green.

It is pretty much considered common knowledge that plants, including lawn grasses, need water in order to survive and thrive. However, the idea that the more often you water the healthier your lawn will be is one of those lawncare myths you can stop believing. In reality, watering your lawn too often or at the wrong time of day can be just as detrimental as not watering it enough. In fact, improper watering practices can cause a variety of issues that ultimately result in your lawn being covered in brown spots.

Fungal infections, which are one of the more common causes of brown spots, are often a result of poor watering practices. These fungal infections typically occur when the grass remains moist for long periods of time. This can be a result of flooding rains over an extended period of time, but it can also happen if you regularly overwater or water late in the day or at night, allowing the grass to stay wet for an extended period. If you suspect a fungal infection, correcting the amount and time you water is a start. For instance, picking the right time of day to water, which most experts agree is early to mid-morning, will allow the grass to dry during the afternoon. Additionally, don't water your lawn every day. Instead, water a couple times per week, allowing the water to adequately soak into the soil. As a last resort, you can apply a fungicide to your lawn.

Conversely, if you are experiencing drought conditions or your lawn is beginning to die off from underwatering, you can usually correct the issue by watering more. That doesn't necessarily mean more often, but rather, allowing more water to drench your lawn during watering sessions. Moreover, there are times when overwatering may be required. For instance, adding too much fertilizer can cause brown spots. The best way to quickly correct that issue is to overwater for a few days to help the excess water move out of the root system. Likewise, regular watering can help reduce the nitrogen from pet urine, which is a common cause of brown spots. 

Believe it or not, the way you mow your lawn can also lead to brown patches popping up in your yard. Cutting grass super short to reduce how often you need to mow is another of those lawncare myths that not only aren't helpful but are actually harmful. Cutting grass too short can result in brown spots from areas of dead or damaged grass. So, be sure to cut your grass the proper height using the one-third rule. Additionally, if you see signs it's time to sharpen your mower blade, do so as soon as possible, so you don't end up damaging your lawn. Using proper mowing techniques also helps control weeds and insects, two more causes of brown spots.

Furthermore, if aeration isn't part of your lawn routine, you could inadvertently be causing brown spots in your yard. When the soil becomes compacted, it prevents water and nutrients from efficiently reaching the roots. It also makes it difficult for the roots to penetrate deeper into the ground. You can check the soil's compactness by sticking a metal rod or screwdriver into the ground. If you can easily push it into the soil, you don't have a problem. However, if it is difficult to push the object into the ground, you need to aerate. For small areas, a manual plug aerator like the Liffee 2-in-1 manual lawn aerator and coring tool will suffice. However, for larger areas, an aerator attachment for a riding mower or a rolling push aerator is more practical. Another solution is to wear an apparatus such as the Ohuhu lawn aerator shoes, which attach to boots or shoes and aerate the lawn as you walk.

Finally, insects and grubs, which are some of the most common culprits when it comes to brown spots in your yard, also should be addressed. Typically, utilizing proper mowing, watering, aerating, and fertilizing methods will control these pests. Additionally, placing bird feeders and bird baths around your yard can help attract a variety of birds that feed on insects and grubs. However, if you do find a significant outbreak of either, you should consider treating your lawn with an insecticide and/or grub treatment.