Help for a Dying Lawn

Thatch

• Thatch is the brown, spongy organic matter that accumulates between the soil and grass blades. A thatch amount less than 1/2 an inch benefits yards by locking in soil moisture. However, thatch exceeding 1/2 inch provides a hospitable environment for fungal diseases and insects, according to the University of California. To learn if you have a thick layer of thatch, cut out a 2-inch wedge piece of turf from the lawn and examine it. Check your thatch layer in the spring for warm season grass or in the fall for cool season grass. Use a dethatcher to remove a high layer of thatch.

Fungal Disease

• Fungal diseases, such as leaf spot, melting out, powdery mildew, rust and summer patch, patches of lawn, cause thinning grass or wiping out badly infected lawns, according to North Dakota State University. Removing a thick thatch layer helps improve air circulation, which reduces the risk of fungal disease. Applying a fungicide kills the lawn disease. Be sure that your grass is not water stressed before applying the fungicide. Repeat the fungicide applications until the lawn shows improvement.

Pests

• Pests, such as white grubs, billbugs, Southern chinch worms, armyworms and cutworms, begin infesting lawns in the early summer. Uncontrolled insect populations cause extensive damage. A high population of white grubs destroys grass root systems. Identify the pests infesting the lawn and pick an insecticide chemically formulated to treat that specific pest. Identify certain pests by sifting through grass blades or digging up the first inch of topsoil.

Lack of Nutrients

• Lack of nutrients causes lawns to decline in health. Providing fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season ensures lush growth. Collect a soil sample to send to your local cooperative extension office for testing. Lawns need 1 lb. of nitrogen every 1,000 square feet. Applying more than 1 lb. causes grass to burn and decline.