Have you ever driven through a neighborhood and admired a plush, thick, green lawn sitting pretty as if it were inviting you to come visit? Only to be greeted with bald, dry, crispy patches as you pull up to your own yard? Unsightly bald patches can be frustrating and embarrassing, especially if your neighbor’s yard is a picture of health. By comparison, your lawn may signify that it is just the opposite.
There may not be much you can do about the bald spots on your cranium, but when it comes to lawns, fortunately, there are remedies for those offensive dead patches. Here are some tips and ideas for growing beautiful grass, once and for all.
What Causes Bald Spots?
Climate has a lot to do with bald patches in your lawn. When it is really hot outside for prolonged periods of time, as Georgia summers notoriously are, the grass can turn brown due to too much sunlight and not enough water. Some types of grass will not even grow in different sections of your lawn.
For example, some grass will not survive under the constant shade of all those pine trees, and other grass will not survive in the sunlight for so many months. The secret is finding the right type of grass for your particular yard. Once you identify your yard’s grass type, it is imperative that you follow all instructions exactly as directed regarding maintenance. Ultimately, this will maximize your yield and success.
Another culprit of bald spots is burning caused by animal urine. If you or your neighbor has a dog, you will undoubtedly have brown, dead grass on your property. In this case, if you have a dog, you may consider building a specific box, similar to a huge litter box for your dog to visit.If that is to labor intensive, you may consider taking the dog for a walk where he can relieve himself along the way.
In the case of your neighbor’s dog, you might consider explaining the condition of your lawn and what you must do in order to reach your desired goal. With that said, ask him to refrain from having his dog visit your yard. In a situation like this, you never know if the conversation will go well or go poorly, so you have to go prepared for either response.
The Quick Fix: Re-Sod
One way to quickly remedy a small bald patch in your yard is to re-sod that area. If it is small enough to manage, you can cut a piece of sod from a healthier section of your lawn, roots and all, and fit it neatly to the area that is not growing so well. Lightly tap it down with your feet and then provide plenty of water to help it take root in the soil.
Using Fertilizer
When one or several spots in your lawn are not completely dead but sparser than other areas, try using fertilizer to make them greener. This is a good option if you are patient, as it may take a couple weeks before you see a difference. If you are hosting a party in the next couple of days though, and need instant gratification for your gardening efforts, using sod as described above is your best bet.
There are many options for choosing the fertilizer that’s best for your yard. Be sure to look for the product that is most compatible with your grass type for best results. Otherwise, you may use a general fertilizer that will produce satisfactory results.
In addition, if you are concerned about non-organic materials in your yard, there are also environmentally friendly products to choose from. Regarding fertilizers, you can always make your own by composting your fruits and vegetables. This is a very good way to decrease your carbon footprint if that is a specific concern for your family. Ultimately, the choice you make will put you closer to getting your desired lawn.
Re-Seed the Lawn
When you have plenty of time and many areas to fix, you may want to re-seed the entire lawn so that it grows more uniformly all over. If you live in an area of the country that is not covered with snow six months a year, like Atlanta, you can re-seed anytime.
However, the grass probably will not grow until the ground temperature is above 50 degrees. On the other hand, planting new grass in the middle of an Atlanta summer is not ideal either, as exceptionally hot temperatures are not conducive to new growth. Suburban homeowners across Georgia are known for battling summer lawn troubles, often resulting in them contacting professional lawn companies like Arbor-Nomics to resolve the problem.
If you have tried all the other options but are not able to achieve the results you had hoped for, asking a professional landscaper who is familiar with your particular climate is a great way to achieve optimal results. When you want your lawn to be the envy of the neighborhood, a professional landscaper will be able to tell you what types of grass and plants grow best in different types of conditions.