Author: Greenskeeper Professional Lawn Care

Amidst the sweltering Pennsylvania summer, the sight of your once vibrant green lawn turning into a patchy blend of brown can be disheartening. If you’re questioning the reasons behind this drastic change and seeking ways to revive your lawn’s vibrancy, you’re not alone. Below, we delve into the potential causes of lawn browning and offer valuable solutions to restore your lawn’s health and beauty. 

Causes and Effective Solutions for Brown Spots in Your Lawn

Lack of water: The most probable cause for a shift in the lawn’s appearance is inadequate watering. 

Solution: Use sprinklers or a soaker hose for even water distribution. Water deeply and infrequently and ensure that your lawn gets 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. 

Thatch build-up and soil compaction: 

Excessive thatch build-up occurs when thatch accumulates faster than it decomposes due to over-fertilization or highly acidic pH balance soil balance. 

Soil compaction occurs when soil is pressed together due to heavy weight, reducing space between the pores. 

Solution: Aeration and dethatching are effective in curbing these problems as they allow for air circulation, giving your soil breathing space and the ability to retain water when needed. 

Pest infestation: Lawn pests like grubs, chinch bugs, moles and vole crickets can damage your grass by destroying the roots, sucking the grass juices, or creating holes in the lawn. 

Solution: Look for any signs of pests in your lawn and take preventative measures like using natural or chemical insecticides to control them. 

Drought stress: During periods of drought-like conditions, grass goes into survival mode and conserves its energy by becoming dormant, leading to browning and eventual dormancy. 

Solution: Using drought-resistant grass, reducing heavy traffic, as well as drought-tolerant fertilizers can help alleviate this situation. 

Nutrient deficiency: Essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are required to maintain the lush greenery of your lawn. If the soil lacks these nutrients, it can lead to brown patches in the grass.

Solution: Do a soil test to check for any nutrient deficiencies in the soil and apply fertilizers accordingly. Follow the recommended application amount and schedule for the specific grass type in your lawn.

Over watering: Over watering your lawn can lead to conditions like water logging, thatch build-up, and fungi growth. This discourages the roots from penetrating deep into the soil, thus creating brown spots. 

Solution: Monitor the amount of water you give your lawn and ensure it is not more than the recommended 1.5 inches per week. Allow your lawn to dry up if you feel that you have over-watered the lawn. Dethatching and aeration can further help alleviate any water-related damages. 

Cultivate a Lush and Vibrant Lawn with the Right Care and Attention

There can be different causes that lead to your lawn turning brown. Understanding the actual reason for this occurrence is essential to implementing effective solutions. Steps like aerating, dethatching, adding necessary nutrients, and pest control can help keep your lawn healthy. 

Get in touch with your lawn care professionals to see how we can help you maintain your lawn’s verdant beauty. Remember, a little attention and care can go a long way in keeping your lawn looking its best.

Check out our service programs or call GREENSKEEPER at 215-938-8440. You can also contact us using our online form for a free quote.

The mere thought of ticks conjures up images of itchy bites and harmful tick-borne diseases. These troublesome pests thrive in tall grasses, wooded areas, damp soil, and shaded spots, environments easily found in any backyard. However, by implementing effective tick control strategies, you can create a safer and more enjoyable outdoor space while safeguarding your family and pets against ticks. 

Some of the most common irritants in your lawn during the summer months are weeds and unwanted grasses. Jostling for space, these opportunistic plants can easily take over your lawn if not checked in time. We explore below some common weeds and grasses that grow in summer in Pennsylvania and ways to keep them under control.

If your lawn looks like a patchwork of brown, yellow, and green spots instead of lush green, it likely requires additional attention and care. Given the scorching summer heat bearing down upon us, the most probable cause of this lackluster appearance is that it does not have enough moisture. Here are a few unmistakable indicators that your lawn needs more irrigation.

It’s getting hotter in Pennsylvania now that we are in June, and your lawn needs watering if you want it to stay lush green. On hot summer days, you may need to water it more often than on mild ones. However, it is important to avoid the temptation of overwatering. Instead of helping your turf grow, excessive watering can suffocate your grass.

Come summer and you want to spend more time enjoying your outdoor space. But the presence of mosquitos can be a big deterrent, pushing you back inside the safe confines of your home. These pesky, blood-sucking creatures are a big annoyance as they come swarming to their next meal, i.e., you!  What’s worse is that beyond the irritation and itch from their nasty bites, mosquitos are known carriers of viruses and diseases, some of which can be deadly like West Nile virus, Zika virus, and malaria. 

Chinch bugs, white beetles, mosquitoes, flies, ticks, ants, mole crickets…and the list goes on! Yes, we’re talking about the many insects that may be present on your lawn throughout the warm months that lie ahead. Most of these pesky insects can create unsightly brown patches and dead grass to ruin the look of your lawn. They can also make it challenging for you, your family, pets, and friends to enjoy your outdoor space. That’s why it’s important to take preventative insect control measures and keep these insects at bay, ensuring that your lawn remains healthy. 

As May arrives, the days become noticeably warmer and longer. It’s a refreshing change from the long, frigid winter months. Your lawn regains much of its lush green appearance during this time. However, the spring season also brings with it weeds that were dormant during the winter months. If not checked in time, these weeds can invade your lawn and compete for essential nutrients, hindering its growth. Below are some useful tips on how to contain them.

Maintaining your lawn’s appearance is undoubtedly important, but it’s crucial to avoid watering it immediately after the winter season ends. The soil is typically cool and damp during this time, and over- watering it can harm the developing grass roots. Instead, it’s recommended to wait until the Memorial Day weekend before turning on your sprinkler system, unless the weather becomes and stays hot and dry prior to that. Read further recommendations provided by our lawncare experts to help you create a customized watering schedule that caters to your lawn’s unique requirements.