All year, we dream of sinking our toes into lush, green grass. It’s nearly as relaxing and rejuvenating as the beach sand!
That’s why it irks us when our lively grass slowly loses its luster and browns.
If you’ve been unhappy with how your lawn looks, let’s solve the problem together. Learn what to do about brown grass in summer – and why this could be happening.
Causes of Brown Spots in Lawn & How to Fix Them
Lack of water + brown grass = drought-stressed lawn
How can I bring back my lawn after drought?
After 2-3 weeks with no water, lawns go dormant. Without being watered, dormant lawns can survive drought for up to 4 weeks.
If your lawn is in drought-induced dormancy longer than 4 weeks, it needs water to survive immediately.
Remove any weeds since they compete with turf for the limited water.
Aerate your lawn this fall. When aerated, grass is better able to intake air and water, which leads to stronger, deeper roots.
Cool temperatures + brown lawn = grass dormancy
When does grass go dormant: As summer starts to fade away and temperatures consistently drop below 55°, lawns enter dormancy. If leaves fall off the Spartanburg trees in your area, your grass will likely go dormant.
When does dormant grass come back? Inactive, brown grass will become green again in spring. To help your lawn green up faster, fertilize this fall.
Sporadic brown spots in the grass + pets = urine damage
Why does dog urine damage lawns: If your pet often goes to the bathroom on the same area of the lawn, the high levels of nitrogen burn the grass.
How to fix brown spots in lawn from dog urine: After your pets tinkle, sprinkle the area with water to dilute the nitrogen.
Sporadic brown spots + digging = grubs
Signs of grubs: In late summer or early fall, look for brown spots in your lawn that look dug up. You can easily pull back these sections of grass and find grubs.
What time of year to treat for grubs:Apply grub treatment this fall to get rid of adult grubs and their eggs.
Sporadic brown spots that are bare = need to be replaced
Causes of bare spots in lawn: Bare spots can be caused by compacted soil, incorrect mowing, lawn scalping or lack of water and sun.
How to repair bare spots in lawn: This fall, overseed your lawn to make it thick and plush again! If large sections of your lawn are brown and bare, think about silt-seeding.
