Why Is My Grass Dying?
It can be distressing to look out at your beautiful, well-maintained lawn and see brown spots. You’ve watered and fertilized your lawn properly. You’ve diligently mowed it every week. You’ve even stared at it longingly hoping it will stay alive through your sheer willpower. But what if it’s not dying? What if the browning of your lawn is being caused by something else?
Many grass varieties respond to summer heat by going into summer dormancy and turn brown. If your brown patches persist into the cooler months, you may have a more serious problem that merely watering and fertilizing won’t fix. There are many possible reasons why your lawn might change color and most solutions are relatively easy to put into action once you’ve figured out the cause.
Is My Lawn Dormant Or Dead?
It can often be hard to tell by looking at brown patches if your lawn is dormant, dying or dead. One easy way to find out is to tug on the grass plants. If they pull out of the soil easily, they are most likely dead. If the roots hold fast when pulled, your grass is just dormant or dying. Grass changes color in response to stress which can include heat and drought.
A healthy lawn can survive up to 4 weeks without water, however, you should still water your lawn once every two weeks while it’s in its dormant phase. By watering in this way, your lawn will most likely not return to green, but it will increase its survival through this period.
Other Possible Issues
One of the many causes of lawn damage comes from fungal issues. Fungi that are always present in the soil will take advantage of times when grasses are under environmental stress to attack their hosts. Times of environmental stress include, excessively wet or dry weather and unseasonably hot or cool temperatures. Once the fungus has been eradicated, your grass will have a chance to grow back a vibrant hue once more.
Improperly fertilizing your lawn can also make it turn brown or yellow. This includes both over- and under-fertilizing, both of which can cause damage. Over-fertilization can cause chemical burns that can turn grass yellow or brown and eventually even kill your lawn. Grass has a preferred pH and any shift will create issues in coloring and health. Under-fertilizing may lead to discoloration due to a lack of nutrients.
Read More: Our Comprehensive Guide for Picking Gutter Colors for Your Home
Over-watering your lawn is another cause of discolored grass. Over-watered grass turns yellow or brown because the waterlogged soil can’t allow enough oxygen and other nutrients to penetrate the roots. Subsequently, roots are unable to grow deep enough into the soil to make them be impervious to disease and other damage.
Other causes of browning or yellowing grass include: pet urine, lawn diseases, improper lawn mower maintenance and pest problems in the grass and soil. It can be difficult to discover which of these issues is ultimately the one that is causing harm to your lawn, but once you’ve figured it out, browning of the lawn can be treated and often reversed.
Call Ned Stevens
Taking care of your lawn can be a full-time job and that comes with surprises and setbacks. Ned Stevens is here to help. Do you have standing water affecting the landscaping of your home? Don’t let your grass die! Reach out to Ned Stevens to discuss setting up gutter cleaning services today.
