Common Lawn Concerns

When you look at your lawn do you see a rolling expanse of green or brown, patchy, troubled grass? Some of the more common problems plaguing lawns include brown spots, thatch build-up, discolored grass and bare spots.

Brown Spots
One of the biggest culprit behind brown patches of grass is dog urination. Dog urine contains an excess of Nitrogren which burns the grass just as if you had poured concentrated fertilizer on it. Other causes include grubs under that area of grass and fusarium patch disease. Once the cause of the brown patches is determined steps can be taken to treat the areas.

Thatch
A thin layer of thatch can be beneficial to a lawn as it holds moisture in the soil and keeps the ground from becoming to compacted. A thick layer of thatch, more than 1/4 inch, can cause problems by preventing the soil from getting the air and nutrients that it needs. Once a thick layer starts to develop proper dethatching or aerating should be done to keep the lawn healthy.

Discolored Grass
Lawns may develop discolored areas when it is not getting enough water. Dollar spot disease can cause gray spots and a bleached appearance to grass. If you are seeing orange spots on your grass it is suffering from rust disease. Each of these conditions can be corrected with proper water, fertilizing and fungicides.

Bare Spots
Bare spots typically show up in areas that do not get enough sunlight, are high traffic areas or are affected by disease. Shade tolerant grasses, such as St. Augustine grass, or ground coverings are the best solution for shaded areas and proper compacting and aerating will help your high traffic areas. Proper lawn care (watering, mowing and fertilizers) will help keep your grass disease free.

For a free lawn care maintenance estimate, contact us by phone or email at:

Email - pollyhughes@comcast.net
Phone (415) 850-5529: 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday