The Grass Dies in the Same Spots Every Fall

Pet Damage

• Pet urine causes damage to the grass due to the high levels of nitrogen concentrated on a relatively small area of the yard. Feces also contains nitrogen but is absorbed more slowly into the soil and therefore not as damaging as the fast-acting nitrogen delivered through urine. Treat the areas most frequently used by the pets with water. Diluting the urine will spread the nitrogen levels to a range less harmful to the grass. Replant a more resistant type of grass in the areas affected by the urine. Ryegrass and fescues are less likely to turn brown and die from the toxic level of nitrogen passed by the pets.

Other Nitrogen Imbalances

• Fertilizers can also be contributors to an overabundance of nitrogen in your lawn. The surest remedy for too much nitrogen is to water the lawn to dilute and wash away the nitrogen. Fertilizing your lawn after late May can lead to a buildup of nitrogen because the precipitation of summer is often insufficient to help your lawn maintain a healthy balance of nutrients. Water your lawn well during the warmer, dryer times of year and fertilize when rain is most likely to keep the nitrogen in the fertilizer from burning the grass. When fertilizing, always use an automatic spreader to avoid fertilizing one area too much. Turn the spreader off when turning or stopping during application.

Remove Thatch and Aerate

• Areas of the lawn that are perennially troublesome may not be receiving enough water to the roots. To ensure that the roots are reaping the benefits of watering and rain, make sure the thatch level is not preventing the water from seeping to the lower levels of soil. Thatch is a collection of dead grass stems and roots that act as a sponge for would-be deep soil moisture. Use a dethatching tool at least once per year to remove the thatch and allow the water to reach the deeper grass roots. Aerate the lawn once per year. Aeration removes plugs of soil from the lawn to allow the water to seep deeper. Plug aerators remove plugs of soil to allow the remaining soil the room to expand as it absorbs the extra water. Keeping the entire lawn moist will prevent neglected areas from turning brown and dying.

Mow to the Proper Height

• Keep your lawn shorter in the winter and longer in the summer. The longer blades of grass will hold more moisture and allow more of the nutrients in the soil to travel through the roots. Longer blades also provide shade for the soil so that the water can seep into the soil before being evaporated by the sun. Pay attention to areas of the lawn of varying elevation. Undulations in the yard can cause your mower to cut at different heights and leave the higher areas with shorter blades and thus more susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun. Overseed areas of the lawn previously damaged by mowing too short. Water the overseeded areas more frequently until the new seedlings have grown to match the height of the rest of the grass.