We understand that yellowing grass can be a big cause for concern in your garden, especially if it seems to be spreading across your entire lawn.
However, it’s important to first understand the various factors that could potentially be contributing to the issue. This way, you can correctly diagnose the problem and find the most appropriate solution.
Here are some of the reasons why your lawn may be turning yellow in places.
Low nutrient levels can cause grass to turn yellow
Nutrient deficiencies in your soil can be a primary culprit behind yellow and brown spots across your lawn. Old and new grass requires a balanced supply of essential nutrients in order to grow healthily and maintain its vibrant green color.
Grass relies on key nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, to grow, and when these nutrients are out of balance — for example too little or too much nitrogen — you may notice the color of your lawn starting to change.
To address this issue, getting up in the early morning to use proper fertilization on your lawn before the foot traffic of the day starts to disturb things can help you stay ahead of yellowing grass.
Seasonal stressors can be the cause of a yellowing lawn
Seasonal changes can subject your lawn to various stressors, resulting in yellow patches. When you’re experiencing excessively hot weather in late summer or particularly dry weather in the early fall or early spring, it can be hard to maintain the lush green color of your lawn.
In the heat, grass can become stressed and turn yellow to conserve water during droughts in the full sun. Similarly, grass may experience snow mold in the colder months which can cause a temporary yellow or brown patch.
Adjusting your gardening routine to consider the seasons is important. By focusing on adequate watering and appropriate shade in the summer, and extra fertilization in the winter to provide your lawn with the nutrients it needs, you can keep your lawn looking perfect.
Yellow grass can be caused by overwatering or underwatering
Learning how to properly water your lawn all year round is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Overwatering can drown grass roots, depriving of them the oxygen they need to maintain their green color — it can even lead to a fungal disease forming.
Alternatively, if you’re not watering your lawn enough, you won’t be giving your grass’s roots the nutrients it needs to grow. This results in yellow, dry, and brittle grass blades and unfavorable soil moisture levels.
If your grass begins to look yellow, start with a simple soil test to see if it feels too dry or too wet. Striking the right balance with watering is essential in maintaining a vibrant green lawn.
Lawn diseases affecting your grass roots and pests can make grass turn yellow
Lawn diseases and pests can wreak havoc on your grass and are a common cause of yellow patches. You may be the victim of insect infestations, like lawn grubs or chinch bugs, which can cause a lot of damage to your lawn and cause root rot or yellow spots.
Common lawn diseases can also be a primary component in unsightly yellow spots and dead patches in your yard. Fungal diseases are a tricky type of lawn disease that thrives in humid conditions and can spread rapidly if not addressed promptly.
It’s important to put in place proper pest and disease control measures, such as regular inspections and disease treatments to restore your lawn’s health and color.
Compacted soil can cause grass to appear yellow or brown
If you want to ensure your lawn’s health, avoiding soil compaction should be another one of your key focuses. Compacted soil restricts root growth, and reduces grass from being able to absorb the right nutrients and moisture, which will lead to a yellow patch.
Aerating your lawn by perforating your soil will help to reduce compaction, and will quickly revitalize your lawn when you notice it starting to turn yellow.
Dog urine can create yellow spots in a lawn
As much as we all love our furry friends, they could be a source of yellow patches on your beautiful lawn.
Pet urine contains high levels of nitrogen and salts, which don’t mix very well with your grass. When they continually urinate in one area, this high concentration of urine can burn your greener grass and other plants, turning them yellow.
If you want to ensure perfect grass without having to plant new grass seed every time your dog is out in the garden, encourage them to drink more water to dilute their urine, or provide them with an alternative area to urinate.
Improper fertilizer application can lead to grass blades turning yellow
We all know that using fertilizers is an important gardening step, but improper application can also be the cause of unsightly yellow patches and brown patches.
When you apply too much fertilizer, you can cause ‘fertilizer burn’ which could be the underlying cause of your lawn discoloration. It’s important to follow the recommended application rates and use an effective spreader to lay down fertilizer to avoid harming your grass.
Inadequate lawn care and other reasons responsible for yellow lawn
Improper lawn mowing techniques like cutting your grass too short, or neglecting regular lawn maintenance tasks could quickly lead to the deterioration of your grass.
To keep your lawn green, you need to take good care of it. Inspect your lawn regularly for signs of disease, under-watering, over-fertilization, or any weeds that need to be removed. Give yourself some tasks that need to be done at the start of each season so that you can keep on track through the year and follow a regular maintenance schedule to avoid excessive stress on the grass.
How to fix yellow spots in grass so your yard is the pride of the neighborhood once more
We all aspire to have a lawn that’s the envy of all our neighbors, which is why most of us want to fix yellow grass as soon as we spot it.
If you’re starting to notice some yellow patches in your grass clippings, here are several steps you can take to revive your lawn to its former beauty and make it the pride of the neighborhood once again.
- Find out what the cause is:
From our list above, you should be able to get an good idea of what's causing the yellow spots on your lawn. It could be anything from dog urine to excessive watering. - Adjust your watering:
Underwatering and overwatering are both bad for the health of the lawn. The best practice is to water deeply and infrequently to allow the soil to dry between watering sessions. - Identiry pests and diseases:
When you have pests or diseases disrupting your lawn, it can often be a bit of a longer issue to solve. If you are not able to clear up the issue yourself, we'd recommend speaking to a yard expert. - Improve the health of your soil:
Make sure that your soil has not been too compacted and that you're applying your fertilizer in the recommended way to deliver your soil the right nutrients. - Monitor and maintain:
Keeping your lawn green is a never-ending process that involves a lot of time, effort, and patience. Keep a regular eye on your lawn for any signs of yellowing and be ready to address things promptly when you notice them.
Get the perfect lawn with the right grass maintenance
Need some more help caring for your lawn correctly? Get in touch with one of our friendly team members today for advice and support.