Identifying lawn problems can be difficult for even seasoned landscapers. It is likely that your lawn problem will belong to one of these categories: Insects, Lawn Disease, Weeds, Moss, Moles, or Drainage Problems.
1. Insects
- Easy to identify. Visible on surface or visible after rolling back a bit of grass.
- Common ones are grubs and chinch bugs.
- Animals such as skunks, raccoons, birds, and moles start digging up the turf to feed on them.
- Usually affects large, widespread area.
- Treat with insecticide. Take precaution for yourself, children and pets.
2. Lawn Disease
- Harder to identify. Need a microscope to see the responsible fungus, bacteria, or virus.
- Circular or irregular patches of browning grass.
- Generalized thinning and browning in various parts of the lawn.
- A common lawn fungus is mushrooms.
3. Weeds
- Most common.
- More than just a visual nuisance because they also compete with grass for water, nutrients, space, and light.
- Flourish in scalped lawns. Mow higher.
- Easily treated with herbicide labeled for that weed. Read labels carefully.
4. Moss
- Often grows where grass cannot, forming an erosion control that’s green and requires no maintenance.
- Lawn moss is better than bare soil, so judge your area. If you determine that grass cannot survive, then leaving the moss may be a better choice.
- Usually caused by acidic soil (low ph) or not enough sunlight.
- Killing it is an easy task. Most garden centers carry Moss-Be-Gone, etc. However, trying to grow lawn moss is quite difficult, so be sure that eradicating it is your best choice.
5. Moles
- Entrance holes resemble miniature volcanoes
- They leave little tunnels all over the lawn.
- There are several ways to get rid of them.
6. Drainage Problems
- Too much or too little water can be a problem
When people can not pinpoint the problem, they often end up doing more harm than good. If you want expert advice, ask a local lawn treatment company. You can sign up for a free estimate by filling out an online form.