Burn Spots on a Lawn

Fertilizer

• Fertilizer is important to use to enhance the look and health of the lawn but may leave burn spots if applied incorrectly. Fertilizer burn occurs when you apply the product to grass that does not contain a sufficient amount of water, or when you apply too much to grass that is wet. The salt content in fertilizer begins to dissolve in wet grass and soil, increasing the pressure levels in the soil to reduce water intake, leaving burned spots on the lawn. Avoid burn spots on the lawn by applying the fertilizer sparingly or as directed and water the lawn to remove the product from the blades.

Dog Urine

• Dog urine is a common culprit of burned spots on the lawn, though time and attention can repair most lawns. To prevent further burned spots, train your pet to use only a designated area of the yard to eliminate waste, such as an area with gravel or other durable material. While you train, keep an eye on your pet as they urinate and rinse off areas of the lawn immediately to dilute waste and prevent burns. For areas already affected by urine burn, resod the area if it does not fill in with new growth after a few weeks time.

Pesticides

• Pesticides are essential in fighting against aggressive weeds that appear in the lawn but can be just as harmful to the grass when applied too heavily. Apply a specific pesticide for the weeds you have in the yard rather than to the entire lawn, which may burn grass unaffected by weeds. Read the usage instructions before you spray it onto the lawn as some require that you do not apply before watering or expected rain. Keep a schedule of use so you do not over apply the product, which can overwhelm soil and roots and cause burned spots.

Chemicals

• Harsh chemicals, such as oil or gasoline, can burn grass and soil when they spill onto the lawn. Chemicals seep into the soil and prevent new grass from taking root, so a solution for burns caused by chemicals is to remove approximately 1 foot of the soil underneath the affected area and replace it with a soil-repair mix, then resod the area to blend in with the rest of the lawn.