If You’re Seeing Patches Of Yellow Grass In Your Otherwise Lush Green Lawn Here’s What Might Be Happening And How To Fix It
It happens to most of us. You think you have this lawn care thing figured out. Then you notice yellow grass disrupting your masterpiece. Worse, the blemish seems to be taking on a life of its own. Here are six things that can make your green grass turn yellow, plus a few solutions and tips for how to fix them.
Can Dead Grass Kill Other Grass
Dead grass will not kill your other grass unless it develops into what is called Thatch. Thatch happens when dead grass collects and combines with roots, dry soil, and other matter.
When the decaying grass begins to compact and form thatch, it suffocates and reduces the airflow to the surrounding grass. Thatch can also become a breeding ground for pests like mosquitos, and fungus.
Mold Or Mildew Infestation
Mold and mildew can do a variety of things to your sod that will cause it to turn yellow. It can start to break down the blades of grass or roots. This may initially cause a sudden burst of a bright green, healthy color followed by a sudden turn to yellow. If you do have a mold or mildew infestation, you may notice that your sod seems slimy or dusty, depending on the variety youre dealing with. If the mold remains long enough, you may notice an unpleasant, rotten smell near the yellow patches of your lawn.
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Chemical Or Fertiliser Accidents
Could you have accidentally spilt anything on your lawn? Maybe the petrol overflowed when you were filling up your mower? or a bit of fertiliser missed the tank on your spreader? Small spillages often rectify themselves. For a small area, use water with a little washing up liquid in it to try to flush the culprits through the soil. Alternatively dig the area out, removing as much soil as possible then bring in fresh topsoil and re-seed the patch.
Miscalculating the amount of feed or chemical you apply to your lawn can result in yellowing. As can treating your lawn just before a frost. Talk to a lawn care expert before taking any remedial action let them know exactly what was applied, how much and when. Dont be embarrassed everyone gets caught out sometimes.
You Have Too Much Traffic On Your Lawn
It might sound strange, but walking or playing on your lawn can actually cause it to turn yellow over time! Constant foot traffic breaks down grass roots which makes them less effective at absorbing nutrients from the soil. This leads to yellowing patches, especially if there isnt enough fertilizer being applied as well! To avoid this problem, try to keep people off of your lawn as much as possible when they arent wearing shoes or using a golf cart . If this isnt possible then consider replacing some areas with ground covers instead so that they dont get worn down too quickly!
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Adjust Your Watering Routine
Only water your lawn when needed. If theres a lot of rain when you notice your grass turning yellow, you may want to stop watering for some time before resuming.
- Only water your lawn when the two inches of topsoil is dry.
- Ensure your water according to the maintenance program of your particular grass.
- Most lawns benefit when you water them 2-3 times a week. If this causes yellow spots, reduce the frequency to 1 or 2 times only.
- Try reducing the amount of water when irrigating your lawn to the recommended level for your grass type.
Different grass types require different watering routines. St Augustine grass turning yellow could be a sign of fungal infection and water-logging.
To prevent this, talk to a lawn care expert in your area to advise you on the proper care routine for St. Augustine grass in order to get rid of the yellow spots on your lawn by changing the watering routine.
You Havent Fertilized In A While
Your lawn needs nutrients to grow properly, just like any other plant! One of the most important nutrients is nitrogen which helps grass produce chlorophyll . Without enough nitrogen, your grass will turn yellow or brown over time due to lack of chlorophyll production. Fertilizer also helps maintain the health of your soil which means less disease and fungus which can cause yellowing patches on your lawn as well!
You should fertilize your lawn once every 3-4 weeks during the growing season . If you dont know how often or when to fertilize, contact your local garden center for help with this step!
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The Lawn Is Lacking The Required Nutrients
This is, by far, the most common cause of yellowing lawns. A lack of nutrients in the soil is unhealthy for the lawn and makes it susceptible to pest infestation and disease. Iron deficiencies are typically the cause of yellow spots, especially in spring.
This occurs when plant or organic matter with a high carbon content is added to the soil. Also, organisms take nitrogen from the soil to break down carbon which can result in nitrogen deficiencies if the nutrients aren’t replenished.
A lawn expert can test the soil to see its composition and chemical levels to determine what deficiency is affecting your grass.
Underwatered And Scorched Lawn
Its common for previously healthy grass to turn yellow or brown in the middle of summer. This occurs when the seasons hot, dry weather conditions cause the grass to go dormant.
Instead of fighting to keep your lawn out of dormancy, I recommend aiming to just keep the grass alive during this period using the aptly named practice of survival watering. The green will return very shortly after the temperatures drop again.
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The Lawn Could Be Lacking The Required Nutrients Specifically Iron Or Nitrogen
To remedy this you can add a fertiliser to your lawn that is rich in these vital components and it should regain its colour in a few days. Remember to always follow the instructions on the packet. Too much nitrogen will also turn the grass yellow. This is the reason why dog urine damages your lawn too. If you have a dog you should encourage them to use areas of the garden that do not have grass and that you do not mind them using.
Yellow Lawn In Summer
As soon as the ground thaws and daily temperatures rise, we expect our lawns to bounce back with a flush of healthy, green growth. When that doesnt happen , its a clear sign that our lawns are not getting everything they need to thrive.
Determining the source of your yellow grass doesnt just come down to environmental factors like drought and excess heat. Youll also need to take into consideration things like fertilization, watering schedule, herbicide use, and how you mow your yard.
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How Do I Get My Grass Green Again
If your grass is yellow because of nitrogen deficiency, you can apply a fertilizer that has more nitrogen in it. If its over-fertilized, you can remove some of the fertilizer and water less often.
For yellow grass caused by too much shade or heat, try moving your lawn to a sunnier area or watering less often.
Excess Or Less Fertilizer Application
As much as its a textbook practice for lawn maintenance, fertilizer application might be the undoing. If applied in excess amounts, nitrogen fertilizers could burn the grass before it yellows and dies.
Excess nitrogen fertilizer increases soil acidity. What happens is that a pH imbalance that doesnt favor proper lawn growth is created. Too much acidity leads to yellowing of the lawn. In the end, areas that received excess fertilizer experience unpleasant yellowing spots.
In the same way, less fertilizer application means fewer nutrients are added to the soil, hence yellowing.
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Is Your Grass Still Yellow
Could your lawn benefit from expert analysis and treatment? Big League Lawn Care lawn rehabilitation experts can diagnose your grass and cultivate a gorgeous thick green lawn for you. So, if your lawn yellowing problem persists and it seems like nothing is working to remedy the condition, call us for a professional assessment. Well quickly identify the right solution, and we can rejuvenate your grass to produce the beautiful, healthy green lawn you want, probably faster than you expected.
Water Less Frequently But More Deeply
Watering too often can wash away nutrients from the topsoil and not allow them to reach the roots of the grass below. Water only when its necessary and water deeply, so that water reaches at least 6 inches below the surface of the soil . This will encourage deep root growth and help those roots find nutrients they need to thrive.
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Get Rid Of Pest And Lawn Diseases
Fungal diseases and pests such as grubs can damage grass roots, leaving the grass weak and pale. We suggest you monitor your lawn regularly for any pests or diseases. The sooner you catch the problem, the easier it will be for you to treat your lawn. Depending on the situation, you can also use pesticides or fungicides on your lawn. However, do your research before applying a chemical compound to your lawn or talk to an expert.
New Sod Has Yellow Edges
Since fresh sod often turns yellow when it dries out, its only logical that the edges would be the first to go. Remember: if the edges start to discolor, the rest of the sod isnt far behind!
Consider how often you water and whether the sod may have been exposed to fertilizer too soon to establish the root cause of the problem, and then take action.
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What Causes Grass To Turn Yellow Or Brown
Grass often turns yellow when it is stressed or damaged. The tricky part is narrowing down the source of your lawns discoloration from a long list of possible reasons.
Of course, yellow grass can also be a natural response to the seasons. Like the leaves of trees and shrubs, grass blades turn yellow in autumn. As long as the grass regains its green hue in the spring, this color shift is nothing to worry about!
Why Is My Grass Yellow Common Problems And Solutions
Why Is My Grass Yellow?Common Problems & Solutions
Its every homeowners dream to have beautiful green grass on display outside of their home however, this dream can be quickly shattered during the hot summer months in South Florida. Yellow grass outside your home can detract from the architectural beauty of your home thus its important to understand what causes yellow grass and how you can fix it. If your once green lawn now has yellow patches throughout, read on. Returning your lawn to its previous green state is not out of reach.
Causes Of Yellow Gras
Many issues can cause lawn discolor however, the top six reasons include dryness, over-fertilizing, under-fertilizing, dog urine, and pests and diseases.
One of the leading causes of yellow grass in South Florida is dryness due to extreme heat. While there isnt much you can do to control the weather you can control how much you are watering it.
Solution: To reduce the likelihood of your grass turning yellow you will need to encourage your grass to root deeply. To accomplish this, you will need to water your lawn thoroughly, but less frequently. Watering frequently, but with little water will never allow your roots to grow downwards, which will increase the probability of your grass drying out, especially during the hot summer months.
Solution: Stop fertilizing so frequently. If you give your lawn time, it will re-grow, and the new grass will be green.
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Your Mower May Need Maintenance
If you notice that your grass tends to turn yellow after mowing your yard, then you might have dull mower blades.
Dull blades damage the blades of grass by not cutting the tips of your grass blades cleanly. This leaves grass more susceptible to disease.
It can also do damage to mow wet grass because your clippings will inevitably clump on the blade and create an uneven cut.
The best way to solve this is to, of course, sharpen or replace your mower blades. You can have your mower blades professionally sharpened, or try to do it yourself, but new blades are not very expensive, and most homeowners feel more comfortable just buying a new pair.
Sharp mower blades will ensure a good quality trim going forward.
To remove yellow grass caused by a previous mow, you can set your mower deck a little bit lower to trim the damaged blades a bit more.
Just be careful not to scalp your lawn by mowing too close to the soil. That can be just as harmful to your grass as a ragged cut. An ideal grass height is about two inches, or a little more.
And if you do change your mowers blades be careful! These blades are sharper than they look. Use gloves, long sleeves, and wear safety glasses. Also remember to disconnect the spark plug cable before you begin work to avoid risk of shock.
The Wrong Time Of The Year
One of the most common reasons for yellow grass is the time of the year. As the weather gets hotter, its normal for grass to dry out.
In turn, this creates a yellow color.
Luckily, theres a solution.
You can stop your lawn from turning yellow by ensuring it gets enough water. My advice is to install a sprinkler in your backyard.
Sprinklers can run on a schedule, so you never forget to water the lawn again!
Plus, watering the lawn by hand is annoying, stressful, and takes wayyy too long, right!?
In addition, make sure your lawnmower blades are sharp enough. Based on my own experience, dull lawnmower blades pull grass, rather than slice it.
This increases the chances of a yellow lawn.
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Why Is My Grass Turning Yellow Even After Watering
It could be for a number of different reasons.
However, from what Ive seen, its from overwatering your lawn. Remember, overwatering can be just as bad as underwatering.
Youre drowning the grass, making it impossible to grow and flourish.
It can also be too much fertilizer, lawn disease, or your lawnmower.
If your lawnmower leaks petrol onto your lawn, you can kiss goodbye to green grass. Therefore, its important to check for leaks beforehand.
Common Causes Of Yellowing Lawn And Methods To Stop It
Yellowing lawns can be a frustrating issue for many people. In Australia, drought and water restrictions can often lead to lawns losing their vibrant green colour, but theyre not the only cause. If your lawn is getting plenty of water and still looking yellow, there could be something else causing it. Below weve highlighted a few common causes of yellowing grass and some solutions that may help fix the issue.
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Flush Out Excess Fertilizer
Fertilizer burn starts to appear when grass blades turn yellow with the lawn appearing to have crusts of synthetic fertilizer. To fix the problem, flush out the excess salts past the root zone.
Heres how:
Water the lawn with at least 1 inch of water per day for 4-7 days in order to wash down the excess salts and force them to leach into the soil beyond the root zone. Start this treatment as soon as you see your grass starting to turn yellow or brown.
Soaking the lawn with a generous amount of water for a week can help revive the grass and turn the lawn green again. It is possible to save a lawn thats dying from fertilizer burn if you start the treatment early enough.
Can Yellow Grass Turn Green Again
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Owning a beautiful and healthy lawn significantly adds to your homes appeal, but maintaining the lush green color takes a lot of effort.
Sometimes, the grass can turn yellow, ruining the bright green hue.
Luckily, you can turn the grass green again with a few simple steps.
- During summer, you need to water, mow and fertilize your lawn.
- In fall, you rake the grass to prevent suffocation from all the leaves.
- During spring, you need to keep your soil aerated else, the lawn dies off.
Despite your extraordinary efforts to maintain your lawn beautiful in all seasons, you may veer off your maintenance schedule.
That is when you start to notice yellow patches on your lawn.
The good news is that you can revive your grass with a few steps.
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Common Yellow Lawn Problems And How To Fix Them
As stated earlier, there is a multitude of reasons why your grass might be turning yellow. But dont despair having your grass turn yellow is rarely a terminal issue.
You can restore the grass to its original green state if intervention is done early enough to stop the issue before it can deteriorate further.
Corrective measures and a consistent approach to taking proper care of your lawn will bring it back to a lush, green state that will appeal to everyone in your home.