These Common Weeds May Be The Reason For Brown Spots On Your Lawn

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If you notice brown spots forming on your lawn or your grass seems to be growing in patchy, you may be confused as to why that's happening. That's understandable as there are a variety of factors that could be causing this issue. However, before you assume the worst –- that a fungus such as dollar spot disease is killing off your grass –- you might want to consider a more benign underlying reason. Believe it or not, common weeds such as crabgrass and annual bluegrass may be the reason for brown spots on your lawn.

At first such a notion may seem counterintuitive. After all, even though no one really wants weeds growing in their yard, the fact is that as long as they are growing they are typically green and often blend in with the grass in your lawn. However, therein also lies the answer to how they cause brown spots. As these seasonal weeds begin to die away, they turn brown. Eventually, there is just a bare spot where the weeds once grew. This issue is amplified if the weeds went unnoticed and were allowed to spread rampantly through your lawn during the growing season.

If you do indeed determine it is weed dieback that is causing brown spots in your lawn, you can easily patch them to restore your lawn, then take steps to prevent the same thing from happening in the future. In order to patch this type of brown spot, begin by raking out all of the dead weeds and grass. Then, use a rake or aerator spikes to loosen the soil. Mix in a bit of fresh topsoil or compost and rake the spot level with the surrounding area. Finally, sprinkle in the grass seeds, rake them in, and water the area. Be sure to keep the spot well watered, and fertilize as necessary.  Utilizing a product such as Scott's EZ Seed & Patch Repair, which combines grass seeds and fertilizer, can simplify the process.

Throughout the next growing season, you should frequently monitor any repaired areas to make sure weeds are reemerging. Quickly and completely remove weeds if they do sprout up to prevent them from spreading. After all, the best way to prevent brown spots from weed dieback is to prevent weeds from growing in your lawn in the first place. To that end, proper lawn maintenance goes a long way. Proper watering and mowing techniques can prevent weeds throughout the year. Additionally, if you had a fairly significant amount of weeds in your lawn the previous year, you may want to consider applying a pre-emergent herbicide prior to the next growing season.