Utah Lawn Care: Brown and Black Spots

Uneven Watering

• The dry climate in Utah means that grass needs regular applications of water. The actual amount of watering needed varies by the season's climate, as well as your location in the state, but most gardeners and homeowners use a sprinkler system to provide water to their lawns. If the brown spots localized in a single area, it is likely that the affected area of your lawn is not receiving enough water. This could be due to improper sprinkler alignment or interference from fixtures such as large trees or shrubs. Brown spots spread over the entire lawn could be a sign of overall ineffective watering habits.

Dog Spots

• If you own a dog, or have dogs in your neighborhood that may use your lawn as a toilet, you may have identified the source of brown or yellowing spots on your lawn. Dog urine and feces are highly acidic and contain a lot of nitrogen, and if you are already on a regular fertilizing schedule for your lawn, this extra dose of nitrogen and acid can cause serious burn marks on the blades of grass.

Curing Common Spot Problems

• With the common problems of under-watering and dog spots, the solution is often the same: add extra water. Saturate all areas of your lawn that suffer from these spot issues with clean water. Whenever your dog urinates on the lawn, saturate the spot with three times the amount of water to urine, within eight hours of the urination. Take the time to water by hand the spotted areas of your lawn that are not receiving proper attention from your sprinkler systems. You should check the sprinkler to make sure it is working properly and, if necessary, contact a professional sprinkler system installer for ideas of how to better coordinate and aim your sprinkler to cover your whole lawn.

Leaf Spot

• You can identify leaf spot problems because the spots are tan, not dark brown, yellow or black like the results of dog spots or under-watering. This is the only fungal disease that can really be prominent in Utah's arid climate, and occurs in lawns during an unexpected rainy season or in lawns that are over-watered. Spores of the fungus spread by wind and by water flow, and so a single infection can infest your whole lawn in a matter of days. There are fungicides available at garden centers and nurseries that will treat this disease; apply them in early spring or early fall. Keep grass mowed low with a sharp-blade mower, and remove all infected grass blades after mowing to prevent the spread of the disease.