Why Is My Lawn Brown

Brown spots in lawns are frustrating to deal with! Just when you think you’ve done everything right, suddenly there’s a patch of grass that’s dead or dying. There are a number of causes of brown spots in lawns, from insects to disease to human error. To get to the bottom of the situation, you’ll have to do a little old-fashioned investigating. Here’s a checklist to help you determine the cause of brown spots in your garden lawn. Unfortunately, it’s very easy for us (and our pets) to damage lawns. Some common causes of brown spots include:

Blunt Mower Blades
Blunt mower blades tear your grass, causing damage and gradual death to the grass plant. Remedy: Sharpen your blades in spring and again during the summer months. After mowing, ensure you blade is balanced correctly, examine your grass to see if the mower is cutting cleanly.

Scalping
If your mower blade is set too low or there are lumps in the lawn, it can cut the grass too short and cause damage. Remedy: Practice proper mowing techniques by raising your mower blades, and smooth out high spots by digging up the sod, removing some of the soil underneath, and replacing the sod.

Chemicals
Petrol, fertiliser, herbicides, and pesticides can cause dead spots if spilled. If fertiliser is applied unevenly or incorrectly, it can burn the grass. Even insect repellents can burn your lawn when sprayed on the grass blades. Remedy: Pour chemicals, fuels, and sprays on your driveway, not on your lawn, and follow application directions.

Animal Urine
Dogs are the most common culprit, but large birds and other animals can cause urine spots, too. Urine usually causes your lawn to turn yellow in spots, sometimes with a bright green ring around the edges where the diluted nitrogen in the urine acts as a fertiliser.

Pests and Diseases
Pest and Diseases cause a huge amount of problems in lawns. One of the most common is the chafer grub, which is the larvae of the chafer beetle. Living in your lawn, sometimes for 3 or 4 years, they eat the roots of your grasses. The yellowing of your grasses is often the first sign of the problem, before the grasses die completely. 2014 was a very bad year for chafer grubs due to the very wet, but very mild winter. A chemical treatment is the most effective method of destroying grubs.