Regular Lawn Issues and How to Repair Them

By Getgreenabq | March 21, 2024 |

As a homeowner, one of your biggest responsibilities is taking care of your lawn. A lush, green, weed-free lawn not only looks great, but it also adds value to your home.

However, problems pop up and your grass starts looking more brown than green.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most common lawn issues homeowners face and give you step-by-step instructions for getting your grass back to its beautiful best.

Fixing Patchy, Discolored Grass

If you’ve got patches of grass that are yellow, brown or just look “off,” it’s likely due to one of these underlying lawn problems:

Thatch Buildup

Thatch is a tight layer of clippings, stems and roots between soil and grass blades. Too much thatch keeps water and nutrients from reaching the soil.

Signs of Thatch Buildup:

Lawn feels spongy underfoot
Patches of grass turn brown
Water pools on the surface

How to Remove Thatch:

Rake vigorously with a stiff tine rake to break up debris
Rent a dethatching machine – Run it over the lawn to remove thatch layers
Apply compost tea to reintroduce beneficial microbes
Adjust mowing height, watering and fertilization to prevent future thatch buildup

Compacted Soil

When soil becomes compressed, grass roots have difficulty growing and taking up moisture and nutrients. Areas with poor drainage due to compaction are prone to drying out.

Signs of Compacted Soil:

Footprints remain visible after walking across lawn
Standing water or muddy conditions after rain
Grass thinning or brown patches, especially on slopes or high-traffic areas

How to Relieve Compaction:

Aerate lawn regularly – Use a core aerator to punch holes down into the soil. Do this at least once per year.
Apply compost topdress – Spread 1/4 inch of compost over lawn to improve organic matter in soil.
Overseed affected areas – Work grass seeds into aerated soil to establish new roots.
Adjust watering habits – Water deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root growth.

Pet Urine Damage

Dog and cat urine contains high levels of nitrogen that over-fertilize grass, burning the blades. Urine also introduces excess salts into the soil profile.

Signs of Pet Urine Damage:

Circular patches of yellow or brown grass
Rapid, overly lush growth followed by decline
Salt crusting visible on soil surface

How to Repair Pet Urine Damage:

Flush soil with water – Pour on 2″ of water to wash salts below grass roots.
Reseed affected patches – Lightly rake area first to improve soil contact.
Train pets away from using your lawn
Try dog rocks – These minerals reportedly reduce nitrogen in dog urine.
Apply gypsum – This helps break down salt buildup from repeated urine spots.
Switch to low-nitrogen fertilizer – Avoid over-feeding urine spots.

Reviving Bare, Worn Out Areas

Bare spots and thinning grass make your lawn look unkempt. High traffic from kids or pets often wears down grass over time. Here are tips for filling in bare, damaged areas.

Heavy Foot Traffic Areas

Paths to gates, compost piles or other lawn fixtures get a lot of abrasive action over years which takes a toll on grass.

How to Repair Heavy Traffic Areas:

Re-route access – Create a mulched path or install pavers to avoid walking over the same spots continually.
Fill in bare areas – Dethatch then apply topsoil followed by grass seed suited to sun/shade exposure. Water frequently until established.
Overseed surrounding turf – Blend bare patches into lawn by overseeding perimeter areas also.
Limit access in muddy conditions – Cordon off damaged areas until turf firms up after rains.

Dog Spots and Digging Damage

Frequent digging, running and bathroom breaks lead to bare dirt and compacted soil in dog zones.

How to Repair Dog Damage:

Level ground – Lightly rake to smooth and loosen dug-up areas. Remove rocks or debris.
Improve drainage – Mix in peat moss or compost to hold moisture better. Fill low spots.
Plant tough grasses – Try tall fescue or ryegrass blends suited for pets.
Restrict access until grass establishes – Use temporary fencing around re-seeded areas.
Provide alternative digging areas – Designate a dog-friendly backyard corner they can dig to their heart’s content.

Worn Grass Under Kids Play Areas

Swing sets, trampolines, soccer goals – whatever your kids play on probably resides on a patch of compacted, patchy turf.

How to Repair Grass in Play Areas:

Aerate soil – Punch holes in compacted areas so seed and water can infiltrate.
Level surface – Spread topsoil and fill divots or ruts.
Overseed thin grass – Choose a hearty blend like tall fescue that tolerates foot traffic.
Fertilize moderately – Avoid excess nitrogen which leads to lush growth prone to damage.
Move play areas periodically – Shift locations seasonally to give grass time to recover.

Correcting Improper Lawn Care Practices

Sometimes lawn problems arise not from pests or diseases, but from our own improper care and maintenance. Here are some common homeowner errors and their solutions.

Mowing Too Short

When grass is cut very short, it cannot photosynthesize enough energy to grow deep roots and crowd out weeds. Frequent scalping also stresses grass.

How to Correct:

Raise mower height – For cool season grasses, mow at 3-4 inches high. Warm season grasses can be cut shorter.
Sharpen mower blades – Clean cuts from sharp blades cause less stress than ragged tearing.
Leave clippings – Grass cycling returns nitrogen to the soil.
Adjust mowing frequency – Don’t remove more than 1/3 total blade length when cutting.

Over or Under Watering

Too much or too little moisture causes lawn decline. Overwatering leads to fungal diseases, while underwatering dries grass out.

How to Correct:

Aerate soil – Improves water penetration and drainage to remedy wet or dry spots.
Adjust sprinklers – Set watering to 1″ per week from rain and irrigation combined. Time morning cycles for maximum absorption.
Let grass go dormant – When drought hits, let your lawn go golden to preserve crowns until rains return.
Reduce runoff – On slopes, break watering into short cycles to prevent wasteful runoff.

Using Quick-Release Fertilizers

Synthetic quick-release fertilizers provide an initial growth spurt but also fuel weeds and thatch buildup when over-applied.

How to Correct:

Use slow-release fertilizers – Organic or synthetic types that provide steady, moderate nutrition over 6-8 weeks or longer. Avoid “weed & feed” products.
Do soil test – Determine exactly which nutrients lawn needs before blindly applying fertilizer.
Apply in correct season – Cool season grasses fertilize in fall. Warm season grasses fertilize through summer.
Sweep away any spillage – Prevent concentrated fertilizer spots that burn grass.

Battling Common Lawn Diseases

Sometimes no amount of proper mowing, fertilizing or weeding will fix an ailing lawn. Fungal diseases often require treatment with specific fungicides. Here are the most common lawn illnesses and cures.

Brown Patch

This fungal disease thrives in hot, humid weather, causing 6-18″ brown circles of dead grass often with yellow margins. Usually affects tall fescue and perennial ryegrass.

How to Treat Brown Patch:

Improve air circulation – Thin grass, prune nearby trees and adjust irrigation to reduce humidity near soil.
Apply fungicide – Treat early stages with chlorothalonil, propiconazole or myclobutanil products. Severe cases may require repeat applications.
Boost overall health – Reduce thatch buildup and over-fertilization which encourage brown patch.

Dollar Spot

Coin-sized brown lesions with lighter grass straw color in centers spread rapidly across the lawn during cool, humid conditions. All grass types are vulnerable.

How to Treat Dollar Spot:

Increase mowing height – Longer grass blades withstand disease pressure better.
Use resistant grass varieties – Some new cultivars have better dollar spot resistance bred in.
Apply fungicides – Rotating between chlorothalonil, propiconazole, mancozeb, or thiophanate-methyl provides effective control.

Gray Leaf Spot

This fungus manifests as yellow-gray, water soaked lesions on grass blades, eventually killing large patches. It thrives during cool, humid weather. Ryegrass and St. Augustine grass are especially prone.

How to Treat Gray Leaf Spot:

Improve air flow – Thin density, trim lower branches of trees and irrigate early so grass dries out during day.
Fungicide application – Chlorothalonil, myclobutanil, azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin work well on gray leaf spot. Tank mix or rotate between multiple modes of action.
Overseed affected patches – Blend in new grass so fungal patches don’t remain obvious.

Preventing Lawn Problems is Ideal

Now that you know how to cure common lawn maladies, let’s talk about how to proactively prevent issues through proper care and maintenance.

Test Soil pH Annually

Soil pH outside the ideal range of 6.0-7.0 (slightly acidic) causes many deficiencies and lawn woes indirectly.

Use at-home test kits – Or submit samples to local extension office for full analysis.
Top dress low pH areas – Spread pelletized limestone if below 6.0 to raise pH gradually without burning grass.
Correct high pH – Add elemental sulfur to lower soil pH in increments if above 7.5.

Dethatch and Aerate Regularly

Thatch reduction and soil aeration should be integrated into yearly lawn care routines.

Dethatch in early fall – Use a steel rake or power rake machine to remove debris buildup.
Core aerate in spring or fall – Pull 3-4″ deep plugs 2-3 times per year for air and drainage.

Overseed Thin Areas

Letting grass grow thick and dense prevents many problems down the line.

Overseed cool season grass in fall.
Overseed warm season grass in early summer – Water frequently for good germination.

Vary Mowing Directions

Changing mowing patterns prevents soil compaction issues.

Shift between north-south and east-west mowing.
Occasionally mow diagonally across lawn.

Fertilize at Correct Times

Strategic fertilization strengthens grass at the right times without fueling weeds and disease.

Cool season grasses – Fertilize in fall, again mid to late autumn if needed.
Warm season grasses – Fertilize through the summer growing season.
Avoid winter fertilizing – Plants are dormant so nitrogen will leach away unused.

Monitor Irrigation Closely

Spot check moisture in different lawn zones to prevent over and under-watering.

Use a screwdriver to examine soil – It should be moist to about 6 inches depth.
Adjust timers seasonally – Less watering needed in spring and fall.

Final Thoughts

Proper lawn care requires continually educating yourself. Do it and your lawn will thank you. Let me know if you have any other questions – happy lawn growing!