Lawn Repair

Tips on Lawn Repair

It can be very frustrating to view the beautifully manicured yards of your neighbors while your own is in pitiful shape, but instead of giving up, learn how beneficial tips on lawn repair can give you the same results.

There are a variety of reasons why certain parts of the lawn fail to thrive while others are bountiful in growth. Before embarking on any type of maintenance, you will need to determine why your problem areas are problems. For example, are there any dogs that regularly visit your yard to use it as a toilet? Dog urine is a typical cause for areas of dead grass in your lawn. Contrary to the belief that the urine is acidic in nature and therefore burns the grass, it is actually an overdose of nitrogen that creates the yellowed grass. The high protein content of a dog’s diet converts to nitrogen as it passes through the digestive system and is released from the body as urine. Burn marks on the lawn caused by urine create the same effect as too much fertilizer being deposited in one area.

Other causes for problems requiring lawn repair could include:

Grub infestation. The white grub is the larvae of the Japanese beetle which feeds upon the grass in the lawn as soon as they hatch. The damage they do is evident by patches of dead grass. Digging up a small area in the yard should reveal the larvae. There are chemicals to apply to the lawn that effectively kill these pests.

Lawn diseases such as brown patch, dollar spots, fairy rings, snow mold and red thread. These diseases are the most common ones reported. Their names pretty fairly identify the condition they cause on lawns. In most of these cases, aerating the lawn, fertilizing on a regular basis and providing adequate water to the lawn.

Mushrooms. Often, the appearance of inedible mushrooms in the grass indicates that there is too much moisture on the lawn. This could be due to a bout of wet weather or excess watering. It is important to allow the lawn to dry out when possible. Another cause could be pet excrement, which fosters a breeding ground for the fungi; cleaning up after your pet will guard against this problem. Additionally, any yard waste that is allowed to accumulate on the lawn could harbor moist conditions underneath, leading to mushroom growth. Keeping this organic matter cleaned up will avoid this.
Weeds. When weeds interfere with a lush lawn, there are steps to take to fight them. Fertilizing the lawn on a regular basis will encourage growth of grass which helps to battle weeds. Many fertilizers have a built-in weed control that will help prohibit growth. Also, allow the grass to grow a little higher before mowing; this will effectively crowd out grass.
Soil condition. Grass grows best when the pH level of the soil is between 6.5 and 7. Too low of a pH reading, and the acidic yard will benefit from an application of limestone. If the reading is high, sulphur should be added to lower the alkaline soil. To test the pH level of the soil in your yard, purchase an inexpensive soil testing kit or contact your local county extension office for a testing kit.

Having a beautiful, lush lawn does not happen on its own. It requires care, maintenance and lawn repair; water, fertilizer, food and air. When patches of dead grass occur because of pests, disease, weeds or soil condition, finish the lawn repair by using a special patch grass mix after the problem has been resolved. Soon, you will be getting admiring looks and remarks from the neighbors on your own lovely carpet of green.