Brown spots in the lawn: How to identify and fix lawn diseases
They are very annoying and can give you, as a garden owner, sleepless nights: we are talking about brown spots in the lawn. They can appear at any time of year and have a variety of causes. Drought, winter damage and pests are all potential causes of brown spots.
In this article, we will introduce you to the most common causes of brown spots on the lawn. At the same time, we will explain how you can prevent or fix them with simple tips and tricks. You will also learn how the high-quality products from RasenExpert can help you.
Causes of brown spots in the lawn:
Brown spots in the lawn can be caused by drought, winter damage, soil that is too acidic, pests or diseases.
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Prevent dryness & burning:
To prevent your lawn from burning, you should water it sufficiently when temperatures are high.
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Avoid snow mold & other winter damage:
If you do not prepare your lawn optimally for winter, it can lead to diseases.
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Determine & correct the pH value of the soil:
If the soil in your garden is too acidic, brown spots can appear and disrupt lawn growth.
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Causes of brown spots in the lawn
You walk through your garden and take a look at your lawn: You discover unsightly, brown patches in the lawn. While all garden owners dream of a lush, green and even lawn, the reality on many lawns is different.
Dark discolorations form, which detract from the overall appearance and can even spread further over time. If you have discovered brown spots on your lawn, you should first investigate the cause. Because only if you know what is causing the spots can you treat them correctly.
We have summarized the most common causes of brown spots for you:
Dryness:
The grass looks burnt and, in severe cases, even withered. Over time, it may even die and fall out completely. These drought-related patches occur when the lawn is not sufficiently watered. Accordingly, this type of brown patches occurs especially in summer.
Winter damage:
If brown spots appear on the lawn after winter, it is probably winter damage. This is caused by diseases, fungi or incorrect care before the onset of winter.
Soil that is too acidic:
If you have brown or yellow patches on your lawn, the wrong pH value of the soil could be the cause. If the soil is too acidic, your lawn will not grow properly and may change color over time.
Pests:
There are a handful of pests that can attack lawns and cause lasting damage. These include grubs and even ants. Often, you cannot prevent pests from settling in your garden.
Diseases:
Your lawn can be affected by a wide variety of lawn diseases. The symptoms can be just as varied as the causes of the lawn disease. However, many of them are accompanied by a brown discoloration of the lawn.
If your grass has turned brown, there are a variety of possible causes. Before you do anything about the stains, you should determine the cause. Only then will you be able to effectively combat the cause and resolve it in the long term.
Prevent drought & burning through proper watering
One of the most common causes of brown patches in the lawn is dryness. If the sun shines all day in summer, this puts a huge strain on your lawn. If it hasn't rained for a while, the grass dries out and turns brown. The roots can no longer find water in the soil and the lawn will die if you don't do anything.
If you want to prevent brown patches in the summer, you need to water your lawn . To do this, observe the weather: When did it last rain? How high will the temperatures be in the coming days? Is the soil still moist?
If you have the impression that the soil is lacking moisture, then you should water the lawn. Instead of watering every day, you should water the lawn thoroughly one or two days a week. The water can then seep into the soil and will supply the roots with moisture in the coming days. With regular watering, you can effectively prevent the formation of brown patches in the lawn caused by drought.
If your lawn has already burned, you should moisturize it immediately. If the damage is not too great, it may be able to recover. If the grass has already died, you should remove the dead blades of grass when scarifying and reseed your lawn .
You can find out how you can best care for and look after your lawn in summer in our article on lawn care in summer.
Effectively prevent snow mold and other winter damage
Your lawn is in a resting phase in winter. However, this does not mean that it is protected from diseases and damage. In fact, you can do a lot of things wrong when caring for your lawn in winter and thereby encourage the development of snow mold and other diseases.
If you are preparing your lawn for winter, you should definitely remove any leaves, branches or grass cuttings. Waterlogging is one of the most common causes of snow mold: this is a fungal infection. Rotten patches with a greyish sheen spread across your lawn. Sometimes you can even see a fungal network.
You should also fertilize your lawn before winter. Fertilizer strengthens your lawn and increases its resistance. It is best to use an autumn fertilizer, which provides your lawn with optimal nutrients, prepares it for winter and promotes a dense turf.
If you have discovered an infestation of snow mold after the winter, you have various options. It may be that the affected areas recover as the temperature rises and the fungus disappears on its own. However, you also have the option of scarifying your lawn and removing the spots from your lawn.
To prevent this from happening, the right fertilizer is crucial. At RasenExpert we offer you a wide range of autumn fertilizers and long-term fertilizers with which you can optimally care for your lawn.
Determine & correct the pH value of the soil
If brown patches appear on your lawn, the pH value of the soil may be the cause. Grasses grow best at a pH value of 5.5 to 6.5.
It may be that the soil in your garden is too acidic. If the pH value falls below 5.5, then there is over-acidification and the lawn cannot grow optimally. The easiest way to find out whether the lawn is discolored because of the pH value is to do a pH soil test.
If this confirms over-acidification, you can lime your lawn . The lime raises the pH value of the soil and ensures optimal conditions. This not only prevents brown spots, but also reduces the growth of moss.
You can easily order a pH soil test with easy application and quick results from RasenExpert.
Detect & Combat Pests
If brown spots suddenly appear on an otherwise healthy lawn, pests may be the cause. Often these are so-called grubs: various beetles lay their eggs in your garden and on your lawn. When the larvae hatch, they eat up your lawn.
The larvae of the meadow crane fly (Tipula) are particularly harmful. They eat away at your lawn in a very short time and the patches in the lawn become larger and larger.
The best way to combat grubs is to use nematodes. These kill the larvae and can therefore stop the infestation. However, they do not help against all larvae.
Preventing or treating red thread and other lawn diseases
It may be that brown spots on the lawn are caused by a lawn disease. This can be particularly the case with red thread: This disease causes the blades of grass to turn reddish to brown. Red thread is caused by a fungus and occurs mainly from June to October. There are many other lawn diseases that can lead to brown spots.
You can effectively prevent most of them with the right lawn care . You should mow your lawn regularly and set a cutting height of 4 to 6 cm. At the same time, fertilizing is also very important, as the nutrients it contains make your lawn more resilient. If your lawn is watered according to the weather, it is also protected from drought.
Once your lawn has been infected with a disease, often the only thing that helps is removing the affected areas. To prevent this, you can find out about the most important cornerstones of lawn care in our knowledge library.
Frequently asked questions about proper lawn care
Yes, if you add too much fertilizer to your lawn, it can cause discoloration. If your lawn is over-fertilized, this will manifest itself in spots or even death of the lawn. The fertilizer salts contained in the lawn prevent your lawn from absorbing water and it will die.
Yes, cat and dog urine can cause brown spots on the lawn. If you have a cat or dog in your garden, the lawn can discolor in places that are regularly marked. The reason for this is the high salt content of the urine.
Yes, brown patches in the lawn can turn green again. To do this, you must first eliminate the cause and then carefully care for your lawn. Add fertilizer, scarify and water it sufficiently. This will create the best possible conditions for a quick recovery.
Conclusion: With the right lawn care you can prevent brown spots
As you now know, brown spots on the lawn can be caused by a variety of reasons. Most of them can be prevented by proper lawn care. We therefore advise you to study the topic in depth and give your lawn the best possible conditions. You can find the right tips and tricks for this in our knowledge library.