Common Issues With Lawns

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Melissa - Lawn Care Support Blogs, North Queensland Lawns

Here the Harden Park Lawns team discuss some of the most common lawn issues and how to fix them.

Grass wilting or turning brown

If you see that the grass leaves are beginning to wilt or turn brown then your lawn is trying to tell you that it is starting to suffer from the effects of drought. In a nutshell, your lawn is thirsty.

Solution: Deep and infrequent watering. Aim to give the entire lawn a good soaking of around 2.5cms of water.

Brown or dead spots

There could be a few reasons to brown or dead spots in your lawn:

• It could be a result of man’s best friend.  Solution: Dog Rocks added to their water.
• Toxic spill. Solution: Seek advice from the manufacturer or your local lawn care specialist – actions may include flooding the area with water to dilute the toxins.
• The soil pH could be imbalanced. Solution: Undertake a pH soil test, take the results to your local lawn care specialist for advice on what to add to your lawn to correct any acidity or alkalinity issues.
• Obstruction under the ground. Solution: You may need to do a bit of investigative work and even dig out the obstruction such as rocks. Just be careful you don’t dig up a water pipe or tree root.

Circles in the grass

Also called ‘fairy rings’, circles in your lawn may signify fungi in the soil. They may first appear as darker green circles due to the amount of decaying organic matter.

Solution: You may need to apply a fungicide or dig up the circle to remove the fungus.

Grass is matted down

Again, this could mean there is a fungus problem in the lawn. Take a look at any areas that are dying rather than already dead. Dew will hang on to fungus early in the morning and give a spider web-like appearance.

Solution: Application of a fungicide.

Yellow, brown or dark green streaks

Typically yellow, brown or dark green streaks in your lawn are a result of uneven fertiliser application.

Very pale green or yellow= not enough or no fertiliser has been applied to this part of the lawn.

Solution: Apply fertiliser to this area and water in well.

Brown= Too much fertiliser has been applied to this area of the lawn and has essentially burnt the lawn plants. You may need to dig out the affected area and allow the area to self-repair.

Dark green = the proper amount of fertiliser has been applied and the lawn is healthy and thriving.

Grass coming up in clumps

If your grass is coming up in clumps it could mean that your lawn is trying to tell you about a grub infestation under the surface. Hop down and take a close look at ground level or apply a wet hessian bag over night – first thing in the morning, remove the bag and look for the grubs.

Solution: Apply a worm grub specify insecticide to the lawn to eradicate the pests.