What are dead patches on lawns?Patches of brown dying grass becoming patches of bare soil can appear in otherwise green swards, spoiling the appearance of the lawn.
Symptoms, causes and remedy
Below are some common causes of dead patches, and how you can remedy the situation:
Symptom: Irregular random patches that appear after mowing
Cause: Spilt petrol and oil can kill grass
Remedy: Avoid topping up fuel and oil levels on the lawn and be careful not to overfill fuel tanks or exceed recommended oil levels.
Symptom: Irregular brown patches on new lawns
Cause: Buried builders' waste or rubble. Soil compacted by machinery
Remedy: Remove the material or remedy soil compaction before over-seeding,reseeding-or relaying the lawn
Symptom: Circular patches with bright green margins on lawns to which dogs have access
Cause: Female dogs' urine in particular can damage grass
Remedy: Water affected areas immediately. Consult your vet before feeding your dog any of the products that are claimed to prevent damage
Symptom: Regular brown stripes or patches appearing after feeding the lawn
Cause: Overdoses of fertiliser
Remedy: Carefully calibrate equipment before use. Also take care to deliver the correct dose evenly. Ideally, spread fertiliser before rain, or else water the lawn just after feeding. Controlled release lawn fertilisers may be less likely to cause scorch
Symptom: Regular stripes or patches that appear after applying weedkiller or moss killer
Cause: Overdose by lawn weedkiller or moss controls. Path and contact weedkillers can be carried onto the lawn on footwear and appear as footprint-sized dead patches
Remedy: Carefully calibrate equipment before use. Also take care to deliver the correct dose evenly. If walking on the grass after spraying is unavoidable, carry two carrier bags with you to place over your shoes
Symptom: Dead patches that appear on ‘high spots’ on uneven lawns after mowing
Cause: This is known as ‘scalping’ of the turf by the lawn mower
Remedy: Raise the mowing height.
Symptoms, causes and remedy
Below are some common causes of dead patches, and how you can remedy the situation:
Symptom: Irregular random patches that appear after mowing
Cause: Spilt petrol and oil can kill grass
Remedy: Avoid topping up fuel and oil levels on the lawn and be careful not to overfill fuel tanks or exceed recommended oil levels.
Symptom: Irregular brown patches on new lawns
Cause: Buried builders' waste or rubble. Soil compacted by machinery
Remedy: Remove the material or remedy soil compaction before over-seeding,reseeding-or relaying the lawn
Symptom: Circular patches with bright green margins on lawns to which dogs have access
Cause: Female dogs' urine in particular can damage grass
Remedy: Water affected areas immediately. Consult your vet before feeding your dog any of the products that are claimed to prevent damage
Symptom: Regular brown stripes or patches appearing after feeding the lawn
Cause: Overdoses of fertiliser
Remedy: Carefully calibrate equipment before use. Also take care to deliver the correct dose evenly. Ideally, spread fertiliser before rain, or else water the lawn just after feeding. Controlled release lawn fertilisers may be less likely to cause scorch
Symptom: Regular stripes or patches that appear after applying weedkiller or moss killer
Cause: Overdose by lawn weedkiller or moss controls. Path and contact weedkillers can be carried onto the lawn on footwear and appear as footprint-sized dead patches
Remedy: Carefully calibrate equipment before use. Also take care to deliver the correct dose evenly. If walking on the grass after spraying is unavoidable, carry two carrier bags with you to place over your shoes
Symptom: Dead patches that appear on ‘high spots’ on uneven lawns after mowing
Cause: This is known as ‘scalping’ of the turf by the lawn mower
Remedy: Raise the mowing height.