7 Ways to Revive Your Dying Grass

Ah, summer. For many of us, ‘tis the season for backyard barbecues, running barefoot through sprinklers, and enjoying the fruits of our labors in vegetable or flower gardens.

However, it’s also a time when outdoor pests such as grubs and chinch bugs can wreak havoc in our yards, sabotaging our efforts to maintain beautiful lawns and gardens. If you’ve noticed sections of yellow, brown, or dry grass in your yard, it could be a sign of these unwelcome guests. But if you’re not quite ready to call in professionals to assess your yard for pests, here are some potential problems to rule out along with solutions to try:

1. Water smarter 

Periods of drought will obviously take a toll on otherwise-thriving grass. But if you notice that your neighbor’s yard seems to be faring better than yours despite the environmental conditions, troubleshooting your watering system may do the trick. Test your automatic sprinkler system for gaps in coverage and replace broken sprinkler heads. Change your watering schedule from frequent, shallow waterings to a heavy watering once or twice a week, allowing water to deeply penetrate the soil. It is better to water early in the day, so the water penetrates the soil but blades of grass do not remain wet for an extended time.

2. Test soil quality

Sometimes a difference in grass coloration within the same area can be attributed to roots or debris affecting the soil quality as well as compacted soil from foot traffic. If you think that might be the case, test the soil hardness of a spot with green grass compared with that of the brown grass using a rake or shovel.

If trees are nearby, a root system could be interfering with that particular section of soil. Rocks, sand, chunks of cement, or other debris could also be beneath the surface. To remedy this problem in large sections of grass, you can aerate the soil, add quality organic matter, and reseed. For smaller sections, simply top dress the grass with ½ inch of quality soil and spread until grass ends are visible.

3. Eliminate weeds

Even with seemingly abundant water and healthy soil quality, would-be lush grass can wither when pesky weeds steal water and nutrients. Pulling weeds manually is a good place to start for the short-term, but getting the roots up can prove difficult, so preventative action for future seasons is more effective. Prevent weed seeds from germinating with a do-it-yourself pre-emergent herbicide or work with a professional lawn care company.

4. Mow with care 

If you’ve noticed your lawn health began declining when mowing season began, your mowing habits could be a factor. Do the edges of your grass blades have split ends that are brown and dry? Dull mower blades could be the culprit, so replace blades for a clean cut. And be aware that cutting a lawn too short can cause stress, weakening your grass. As a general rule, never remove more than ⅓ of the total grass blade at one time, and keep your grass at least 3 inches long. 

5. Dilute waste or spills

Gasoline spills, chemical spills, salt residue from ice melt, and animal urine can sometimes account for patches of dead grass. Aside from attempting to minimize future grass contact, it can help to frequently flush the affected area with water to dilute the acid, saline, or other contaminating substance.

Incorrect use of fertilizer can also mess with lawn health, such as bad timing, uneven application, or spills, so if you’re applying it or other treatments yourself, do so with care.

6. Treat disease

Disease-causing fungi are something no homeowner wants to deal with, but it may be your reality if you’ve observed unusual lawn symptoms such as stunted growth, leaf lesions or brown patches, bleached turf, or fairy ring. To avoid spreading a fungus, mow unaffected areas first and clean blades after mowing diseased areas. And while it is preferable to prevent disease (by aerating and dethatching your lawn and other lawn maintenance procedures) than treat it, fungicides can kill certain diseases.

For optimal chances of success in eradicating disease, have your grass properly diagnosed by a lawn care professional or take a sample of the diseased grass to your local university extension office, run by the land grant university in each state. Many states’ extension programs run turf diagnostic tests for a small fee.

7. Eradicate insects

If you’ve ruled out some or all of the problems listed above, chances are good that lawn pests are lurking in your previously-pristine grass. The list of potential lawn pests is long enough to make anyone’s skin crawl, but some pests can be ruled out based on the region in which you live.

Chinch bugs and mole crickets attack warm-season grasses (such as St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass) primarily in the South, including tropical areas, but also appear in the desert Southwest, Mountain West, and High Plains.

European crane flies heavily infest cool-season grasses (such as fescue grass and Kentucky bluegrass) of the Pacific Northwest but can also be found in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New England.

Grubs, or the larval form of a number of beetles, infest all regions of the United States, feeding on the roots of grasses from spring until fall. To test for grubs yourself, try to lift a piece of your dry grass. If the piece of grass comes up easily and can roll up like a carpet, it’s likely that grubs have eaten the grassroots. By cutting out a cross section of the grass and soil, you’ll probably see the ½ inch white grubs munching away happily. The best time to treat lawn grubs is between midsummer and early fall, when grubs are immature. Otherwise, the grubs will mature and mate, laying more eggs, which grow into more grubs. If you’re dealing with grubs or another insect problem, look into getting a lawn-specific pest control company on your side so you can enjoy luscious green grass again!