Symptoms, Causes and Fixes
for Common Lawn Issues

Dandelions are just the beginning. Even if you mow and water your lawn regularly, common problems can bedevil your grass. Mysterious dry patches? Yellowish spots? Lines that make your yard look like a gridiron? No worries. We've got you covered. Here are some common symptoms, causes and fixes for lawn woes. Give that grass a little TLC and this year, your yard will be the one all of your neighbors envy.

Symptom: Irregular dead or brown spots, or turf that pulls up from the soil like a carpet.

Cause: Insects. White grubs, beetles, caterpillars and all manner of creepy crawlies can infest your lawn, eating the grass blades, burrowing into the soil, and even attracting skunks and gophers.

Fix: Aerate your lawn and then apply an insecticide formulated for lawns. When the lawn has been treated according to package directions, water and let it dry. Then it's safe for kids and pets. Follow the directions to the letter — too much pesticide will burn your lawn.

Symptom: Mushrooms

Cause: If you've suddenly got a crop of mushrooms sprouting in your yard, it could be for one of a variety of reasons. There could be buried organic matter like timber or a stump, too much water due to heavy rain or overwatering, or low light.

Fix: Assess your situation and decide which culprit caused the mushrooms to sprout. If it's buried organic matter, when the underground fungus is finished breaking it down, the mushrooms will usually go away. Rain or overwatering? You can't do much about Mother Nature but you can aerate your lawn and water more carefully. If it's low light, prune up your trees to let more sunshine in. In any case, take your mower to those mushrooms and don't leave any scraps behind. Most mushrooms are not poisonous, but some are very toxic. Better safe than sorry, especially if you have children or pets.

Symptom: Quickly appearing and expanding dead spots, rings or other irregularly shaped patches, or grass that turns color.

Cause: This is likely caused by one of a number of lawn diseases like dollar spot, fairy ring, fusarium blight and others.

Fix: To prevent the disease from spreading into the entire yard, remove the grass clippings from the affected areas, avoid walking through them and clean any tools you use. Apply fungicide if needed. If the situation is getting worse, this is the time to call in a lawn care pro to diagnose exactly what it is and recommend treatment.

Symptom: Small dead yellow spots within an otherwise lush, green lawn.

Cause: Fido.

Fix: Flush the area with water as soon as possible. If the damage is too great, you may have to fertilize or re-seed. Then cordon off one area of the yard to be your dog's relief station, leaving the rest of the lawn lush and green.

Symptom: Yellow stripes on an otherwise healthy lawn.

Cause: Operator error, unfortunately. It's caused by uneven fertilizer application.

Fix: Give the area a good watering for a few weeks and the problem should resolve itself. Then fertilize again, carefully.

Symptom: One part of the lawn dries out while the rest is green and healthy.

Cause: This is usually due to compacted soil in high foot-traffic areas. Sometimes, if you have in-ground sprinklers, it could mean the heads are clogged or broken in those areas.

Fix: First, turn on your sprinkler system to make sure it is running properly. If that's the problem, adjust, replace or repair. If the sprinkler is not the culprit, aerate the area to loosen that compacted soil and water it.

Symptom: Moss creeping into shady areas of your yard.

Cause: Moss loves shady spots. Grass, not so much. Prune up those trees to give the area more sunshine, aerate the area and water it. If that doesn't do the trick, you might have a pH problem on your hands. Moss thrives in acidic soil.

Fix: Test your soil's pH level. If it is below 6.5, it's acidic, and grass won't grow well there. The good news is, it's an easy remedy. Raise your soil's pH by applying lime with a lawn spreader, make sure the area doesn't have standing water, aerate the soil and fertilize. You can kill patches of moss with a solution of two to four ounces of dish soap and one gallon of water. Pop it in a spray bottle and go after the moss. When it turns yellow or brown, rake it up and you're good to go.

At Fleet Farm, we've got everything you need to make your yard the envy of your neighborhood. Visit us today and you'll have a green, lush lawn this spring.