Grass Problems
A Look At The More Common Grass Problems
At first glance it may seem the number of grass problems rivals the number of blades of grass in the lawn. It isn't that bad of course, but there are certainly a large number of things that can happen to the grass in your lawn that you can well do without. We'll look at the more common ones here.
When one does manage to get a lush green lawn, that often gives one a foot up on keeping grass problems at bay. Thick luxurious grass tends to choke out crabgrass or other invasive weeds, and protect the roots from drying out, prevents fungus, and insect pests as well. A healthy lawn has a tendency to stay that way. Of course a healthy lawn is usually a sign that some tender loving care has been practiced, which in itself helps avoid or eliminate grass problems.
Shade - A common problem is when a part of the lawn just doesn't do as well as the rest of the lawn. This often is the case when a part of the lawn is in the shade much of the time, or all of the time. The remedy here is to seed that portion of the lawn with a shade tolerant variety of grass. There may be a bit of a challenge if the shade-loving grass has a markedly different hue or texture than the rest of the lawn, but given a judicious selection and perhaps a mixing of seed types, a smooth transition between one type of grass and another is possible.
Compacted Soil - While a new seeding can effectively address shade issues, a more serious problem is that of compacted soil. No matter what you do, part of your lawn, and maybe even the entire lawn, simply will never amount to anything near what you're looking for. Lawn grass will not do well in soil that is overly compacted, or provides poor drainage. To solve this grass problem, replacing the lawn, and grading and building up the soil may be the only solution. With a little luck tough, aeration may do the trick. A heavy duty aerator will most often be needed, and it's sometimes best to seek out a professional lawn maintenance person to do the job.
Moss - Moss as a problem often goes hand in hand with too much shade, and in some cases can also be a result of compacted soil. There are effective moss-killing sprays on the market, but unless the underlying reason for the moss being there in the first place isn't addressed, the moss will eventually return. Even if you spray it again, patches of dead moss don't do much for the overall appearance of a lawn. Reducing shade if possible by pruning or trimming can sometimes help in specific areas of the lawn, and your watering regimen may need to be changed, so that the mossy areas receive less water than other parts of the lawn. This can be a challenge if one is relying on a sprinkler system, unless the sprinklers can be individually programmed.
Fungus And Disease - Improper watering can also result in fungus attacking a lawn. Grass problems involving fungus are usually discovered after the fact, once the grass has already died. Applying a fungicide at that point won't do much good. It needs to be determined why the fungus was allowed to invade the lawn in the first place, and then try to eliminate the cause. It's somewhat the same with some of the other diseases and with insects. If the conditions which allow them to enter the scene are well understood, these types of grass problems can often be avoided, or nipped in the bud when they do occur.
Larger Critters - Finally, dogs, or more specifically dog urine, and moles, create somewhat of a special class of grass problems. Dog urine often leaves brown spots of dead grass in the lawn, occasionally, though not always, surrounded by a ring of dark green, luxurious growth. Short of eliminating the dog, or dogs, which is not often possible without fencing, one can purchase a spray which effectively counters the effects of the urine on the grass. The problem with this spray is that the dog has to be more or less caught in the act, so you'll know where you need to spray. Fortunately, when grass is killed by dog urine, the damage tends to be temporary, or the patch can be seeded over if need be. Moles can be an even bigger problem of course. Tunnels and mounds of earth are much less attractive than a few brown spots. You might be successful in driving the mole into your neighbor's yard, in which case you've lost some moles and gained an enemy. But the only really effective solution is to trap the moles, which requires a little instruction plus a little effort.
Lawn and grass problems might be summed up with the observation, “there's always something”, but in most cases there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and if your lawn isn't the way you want it this year, there's always next year.