You are probably very worried and confused if your lawn is dying in patches. Because there are so many potential causes, it’s not always obvious what is causing the issue and why it’s happening. So, before any more dead grass spots appear in your lawn, let’s take a look at the various causes and dig into the solutions to why my grass is dying in patches.
Why is My Grass Dying in Patches? (The Short Answer)
Dead grass patches in your lawn are usually the result of either an unfortunate gardening mistake or a visitor to your yard. Here are 10 common causes of dead grass patches.
- Water Coverage
- Mowing Height
- Thatch Buildup
- Soil Quality
- Buried Material
- Spilled Fuel
- Animal Urine
- Fertilizer, Herbicide, Pesticide Burns
- Bugs & Insects
- Fungus & Disease
Lawn Dying in Patches: How to Figure Out What the Cause Is
On a number of occasions, I have found myself asking, why is my grass dying in patches? And with some research and investigation, I have come up with ten different possibilities that cause dead patches in my lawn. As it turns out, some of the reasons were possibly my fault, and the help of others created others. Here’s what I found out.
Water Coverage
The irrigation system I have set up covers my whole lawn with a decent amount of overlap. Well, that’s how it is designed to work. Unfortunately, with a couple of buried sprinkler heads and the odd broken head, dead patches started to appear on my lawn.
So if you have a similar setup, then it’s worth running through the various zones to make sure everything is working properly and that the timer is programmed correctly.
Mowing Height
I have my lawn mower set to cut my lawn at 3 ½” high, which for a long time, has worked just fine. That was until I started to see brown patches on my lawn. When I say brown spots, I actually mean scalped spots. It appeared that something was going on with the cutting height of my lawn mower.
Luckily, all it took was a quick pump of the tires and a re-leveling of my cutting deck to solve the problem.
Thatch Buildup
If you’re unfamiliar with thatch, it’s the layer of dead/brown grass that sits just below the top of your lawn. Some grasses produce more thatch than others. Usually, a good amount of thatch can be good as it helps to hold moisture and regulate soil temperature, plus it decomposes back into the soil and provides nutrients.
But too much thatch can be a problem. This is because too much or too thick a layer of thatch can weaken a lawn and result in brown spots. So, with a quick dig into the grass with your fingers, you’ll see how thick your lawn’s thatch is.
Soil Quality
Soil quality is a key factor in a healthy lawn as it’s an additional source of food for your lawn. So, if your soil isn’t healthy and the lawn isn’t receiving enough food, the grass will weaken and become at risk for other problems such as disease and fungus. Also, grass that doesn’t have enough nutrients will eventually die, but this is a slow process.
The main concern is that when the grass becomes weak, it is vulnerable to attacks. Now, if you are not sure what the state of your lawn’s soil quality is, then you can carry out an at-home soil test or send a sample to be tested.
Buried Material
I have seen lawns develop brown patches because of various objects buried just under the surface of the lawn. Usually, I see this in new home construction. Now, not to hate on house builders, but things sometimes get missed, like plastic under the lawn that should have been removed. So I advise looking under the grass and seeing what’s there.
Spilled Fuel
I have to put my hand up and say I’m guilty of this one. Spilling fuel across my lawn isn’t something I do on a regular basis, but it has happened more often than I would like. How did this happen? One time, a leaky gas cap on my weed eater because of a bad o-ring allowed an entire fuel tank to leak out while I was trimming.
Now, if I had noticed at the time, I could have dealt with the spillage, but unfortunately, I didn’t. So, take a minute to check all of your gas-powered lawn equipment to make sure you don’t have any kind of leaks that could be causing the brown patches on your lawn.
Animal Urine
Animal urine will cause brown spots in your lawn. Normally it’s not such a big problem because most small animals don’t pee that much. But a big dog can be a different story. So, depending on who is using your lawn as a latrine, you might end up with a few brown spots. Also, if a larger animal decides to take a number two, then you’ll have the same issue.
Fertilizer, Herbicide, Pesticide Burns
Regardless of which chemical product you use on your lawn, there are always directions indicating how to dilute it or the rate of coverage. For example, I didn’t water in granular fertilizer once and ended up burning brown patches into my lawn.
Also, I had a leaking herbicide sprayer that unfortunately leaked across my lawn. Yep, Round-Up and grass don’t mix too well. So, if you have recently used a chemical in your yard, maybe check the label and see if something went wrong.
Bugs & Insects
Even if you have done everything right with your lawn, you still have the risk of critters messing things up. For example, grubs could be eating the roots, chinch bugs could be eating the blades, and webworms could be eating your new sod. These are just a few of the bugs that like to let you know they are around by leaving brown patches on your lawn. So, closer inspection in these areas might lead you to the culprit.
Fungus & Disease
Rhizoctonia Solani fungi are just one of the common issues that like to destroy a lawn. The first thing you’ll start to notice is brown patches in your lawn. If not dealt with, this disease will cause the brown patches to connect, resulting in an entirely brown dead lawn. Another one to watch out for is blight, or should I say, Rhizoctonia Blight. Again you’ll see the same brown patch effect on your lawn.
How to Fix Dead Patches in Your Lawn (10 Things to Try)
My best advice is to inspect any brown patch on your lawn and quickly figure out the cause. A misdiagnosis could lead to some pretty devastating results. So, without delay, let’s dig into the solutions.
Repairing the Sprinkler System
The first thing you want to do is run through the timer and make sure it’s working correctly and that all of your zones are working properly. Then you want to inspect each of the irrigation heads. Having a box of spares really comes in handy, including a small screwdriver or a head adjuster tool and an irrigation nipple extractor. This is the tool you use to remove broken nipples (coupling threaded at both ends).
Next, you want to keep the heads cleared out. I use an irrigation head cutter to keep the grass back and concrete rings to protect the heads from the wheels and blades of my lawn mower. If this doesn’t work, you can call a local irrigation specialist who will take care of all the issues and give you annual irrigation checkups.
Adjust Your Mower’s Cutting Height & Deck Leveling
If your lawn mower is leaving brown patches and scalping, you should first check if the mower deck is level. Deck leveling is the process of checking if the deck is adjusted front to back and side to side. With a tape measure and a wrench, you’ll easily be able to adjust your cutting deck to the correct settings.
Next, you should check your lawn mower’s adjustment lever to make sure it is set to the correct height. Whenever I’ve had my mower’s height set to the wrong setting, a few days later, I notice brown patches. So, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Remove Thatch
Thatch removal is actually a pretty easy job if you get the right tool. For example, you could use a regular spring rake, or you could go for something like a power rake or a powered dethatcher. I definitely recommend the power tool if you want to get detaching done quickly.
There are pros and cons to dethatching, but usually, the pros outweigh the cons. Just be warned that a detached lawn can look bad straight afterward, but it doesn’t take long to rec.
Improve the Soil Quality
Fertilizer is one way to improve soil quality, but other methods can also help. For example, adding topsoil, sand, and lawn minerals also help to strengthen soil health. Ironite and Milorganite are just two of the products I have in my shed.
But before you rush out to get some products, test your soil and figure out what it really needs. Using the wrong products can do more harm than good.
Remove Buried Material
All you can do with buried material is dig it up and remove it. Unfortunately, this will probably make a mess of your lawn, but it will be one step closer to getting rid of the brown spots. So, once you remove the buried object, you’ll need to backfill the hole, prep the soil, and then decide what type of lawn grass you will install. This could be either seed or sod and comes down to what you already have and where you live. The best thing to do is go for the same grass you already have.
Repair Leaking Lawn Equipment
Hopefully, your lawn equipment leaks because the filler cap wasn’t on properly. Otherwise, you’ll need to install a replacement if it’s a gas cap or a gas tank issue. If in doubt, take the tank to the local repair shop and have them take a look. Just don’t keep using the tank if you know it’s leaking.
Scare Away Animals
Trying to keep the neighborhood off your lawn can sometimes be a nightmare. You could have a word with the dog owners, but that rarely works, so you’ll need another way. I’ve tried ammonia and vinegar, which both work well to turn dogs away. But be careful not to get these products too close to your lawn or plants. Two other items you could try are cayenne pepper and chili pepper. A dog soon runs away if it gets a sniff of pepper.
Double-Check Chemical Application Method
It’s always important to read the instructions on any chemical product that you are using in your garden, including those you use on your lawn. Improper mixing, diluting, and spreading will cause you a world of trouble, including those brown patches.
So, get yourself the right equipment, like a drop spreader/broadcast spreader or a pump sprayer, so you can apply the chemical correctly, plus see if there are any steps to follow when you have finished. For example, granular fertilizer should be watered after application so as not to burn the grass.
Another problem I’ve seen is people walking on wet weed killers such as Round-Up and then walking across their lawns. This is probably the quickest way to get brown spots or patches on your lawn. Oh, and don’t spray herbicides in the wind unless you want them to drift onto your lawn.
Treat for Bugs & Insects
Well, if you have identified which particular bugs or insects are leaving brown spots, then that is half the battle. All that’s left is to get hold of the right pesticide to treat them. But, again, remember to follow the product’s instructions and use an appropriate applicator.
If this sounds like something you’re uncomfortable trying, then you could call a pest control company like TruGreen to give you a hand and apply chemicals for you.
Treat for Fungus & Disease
Treating fungus and disease is pretty much the same as bugs and pests. You need the right applicator and product. But, in addition to this, you want to make sure that you do not spread the problem to other areas of your lawn by mowing or walking through the affected area. So, try to use a weed eater instead of a mower to prevent tracking through the brown spots.
Now, if you have a lawn service, point out the issue and ask them to avoid mowing the affected area. Not only will this stop them from spreading the disease around your yard, but it will also stop them from carrying it to the next lawn they service.
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