Facts about a Brown Lawn and its Causes from Simpsonville Lawn Care Providers

You may see unexplained brown spots on your lawn sometimes, for no reason whatsoever. You may feel that your yard has lost its looks, but fortunately, it is most likely dormant or has fungus, which can usually be fixed because both are temporary.

Why Brown Patches Develop?

Grass turns brown to conserve water during periods of drought which appear healthy once there’s plentiful of water. Brown patches can also develop if your yard has thatch thicker than half an inch that acts as a sponge and soaks up water and goes directly to the roots. Wet thatch always may be the cause of your brown yard because of growth of fungi that causes brown spots.

If you need help assessing the cause of your lawn’s spots, get in touch with Curb Appeal Lawn Care in Simpsonville SC for help with your lawn care and maintenance tasks.

Brown spots in the yard can show up for many different reasons, so the first step toward treating them is to identify the cause of the problem. Some of the common causes of brown spots in the yard include:

Fungus- Fungal problems can cause brown spots that usually show up as irregular patches. Fungal outbreaks are more common in extremely rainy or humid weather, as can lack of sunlight and poor air circulation which can encourage the same. Although you cannot control the weather, but you can definitely do something to protect against fungus like applying branded fungicide according to the label directions to not only treat active diseases, but also to prevent future problems.

Grubs- Way grubs damages grass is by eating the roots that leads to small brown patches that ultimately widen in a relatively uniform way. Although damage can be repaired at any time, but fall is the best. Rake the affected area to remove the dead grass to repair existing brown spots, then apply the required products. Strictly follow the label directions of the products that you use.

Thatch- Thatch builds up when yard is not properly watered, fed or mowed which leads to accumulation of dead and decaying plant material between the plant leaf blades and the root system (which is what thatch is) that prevents water and food from getting to the roots. Increase in thatch build-up can cause growth of grass plants in the thatch layer. You will have to dethatch your yard.

Weeds- Death of annual weeds like crabgrass, annual bluegrass, and foxtail can also cause dead spots in the yard which is a natural cycle that you can easily avoid with proper yard maintenance.

Dog Urine Burns- This is one of the most common causes of brown spots. Dog urine burns are caused by the high amount of nitrogen in the urine.

Tips to Fix Brown Lawns:

1.      Prevent fungi and brown spots by dethatching.

2.      Many turf grasses are sensitive about watering, insisting they neither have too much water nor too little. It’s advisable that you increase your watering efforts if your yard starts to dry out with increase in temperature. It is as important that your lawn drains well and grasses aren’t standing in water for long as too much water can be a problem as well.

3.      Fertilize your yard only after a proper soil test as soil pH levels is a very important component of a healthy yard and may be equally responsible for brown spots.

4.      Do not let weeds take over your yard.

5.      Check your mower blade as incorrect mowing causes a lot of problems with yards across America. Dull mower blades shreds grass blades instead of cutting them, allowing the tips to dry out completely. 

Brown lawn patches are probably the most frustrating problems that homeowners have with their yards with there being different kinds of problems that can lead to brown spots on grass, that makes home diagnostics difficult. If you don’t have any idea about what’s wrong with your yard, get in touch with Curb Appeal Lawn Care by calling us on 864-399-9185.