The Sustainable Garden
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Brown Spots in Your Lawn?
Before you add more water, do a little detective work.
Seeing mysterious brown patches in an otherwise green lawn? Don’t panic—and don’t automatically turn up the sprinklers. Your lawn may be telling you exactly what’s wrong.
Here are 5 common culprits to check.
1. Poor Sprinkler Coverage
One of the most common causes is simply uneven watering.
Watch your sprinklers run. Are some areas barely getting wet while others are soaked?
Try the Cup Test: Place several identical straight-sided cups or tuna cans around the lawn and run your sprinklers for about 15 minutes. Compare the amount of water collected.
Big differences = uneven coverage.
Check for clogged, tilted, broken, or poorly adjusted sprinkler heads before increasing your watering time.
2. Grubs
Grubs feed on grass roots, causing sections of lawn to turn brown.
Quick test: Grab the brown grass and gently pull upward.
If the turf pulls up like a piece of carpet and has very few roots holding it down, take a look underneath. White, C-shaped larvae are a strong sign of grubs.
3. Sod Webworms
Another tiny troublemaker!
Sod webworm larvae feed on grass blades near the soil surface and can create irregular brown patches.
Part the grass around the edge of the damaged area and look near the soil surface for small caterpillar-like larvae, webbing, or greenish droppings.
4. Dog Urine
Round brown spots surrounded by an unusually dark-green ring?
Your four-legged friend may be the landscaper responsible.
Dog urine contains concentrated nitrogen and salts that can burn turf. Watering the area soon after your dog visits can help dilute it.
5. Fairy Ring
Yes, it's actually called a fairy ring.
Look for circles or arcs of unusually green grass, brown turf, or mushrooms. Fairy rings are caused by fungi growing in the soil and can become more noticeable during warm weather.
Before You Treat—Investigate!
Brown grass doesn't always mean “I need more water!”
Check sprinkler coverage
Look for insects
Consider pet damage
Watch for fungal patterns
A few minutes of lawn detective work can save water, money, and unnecessary treatments.
Healthy lawns start with knowing what your lawn is trying to tell you.
Honoring Heroes & Giving Back to Our Community
This September 11th, Peterson Tree Care, Woodstuff Landscape Supply & Bloom Gardens want to remember, honor, and give back to the community that support each of us every day. Watch the video below for details:
For additional information on how you can get involved click the link below:
955 S 1950 W, Springville, UT 84663
(801) 489-4777
August Tips & Checklist
Consider planting cover crops to provide “green manure” to the garden.
Collect and store seeds from your garden.
Learn about how and when to harvest watermelon and cantaloupe.
Harvest potatoes as soon as tubers begin forming.
Store potatoes, garlic, and onions in a cool/dry location (32-40°F) away from apples.
Plant trees and shrubs as the weather becomes cooler.
Go hiking in the hills to enjoy autumn colors.
Divide crowded, spring-blooming perennials.
Consider composting fall leaves.
Check pears for ripeness once the fruit twists off the tree easily and the seeds are dark colored, then allow them to finish ripening off the tree.
Apply a slow-release lawn fertilizer early in September to provide long-lasting results throughout the fall.
Remember that as temperatures cool, turfgrass requires minimal irrigation each week. See irrigation needs in your area.
Plant new lawns or repair insect/diseased areas with grass seed, allowing 4-6 weeks for establishment before heavy frosts.
Aerate compacted sites with a hollow core aerator when turfgrass is actively growing (September to October).
Pests and Problems:
Control raspberry crown borer using a root drench during late summer or early fall.
Learn about diseases and problems in apples and how to manage them.
Control rust mites in apple and pear trees after harvesting fruit and before leaf drop.
Watch for boxelder bugs congregating on sunny surfaces during the fall months.
Monitor for damaging turfgrass insects.
Subscribe to the Utah Pests IPM Advisories for timely tips on controlling yard and garden pests.
The Sustainable Garden Newsletter is provided by Bloom Gardens
