Ducati996

How to fix the top 10 lawn problems
And keep them from coming back

Tougher, more resilient grasses and better ways to fend off crabgrass and other weeds and pests should make it easier than ever to get a lush, healthy lawn. So why do so many people still have lawn problems--and how do you get rid of them?

By asking Staff experts and turf scientists across the country to identify some of the most common lawn weeds, pests, and diseases nationwide, as well as the most common mistakes homeowners make in dealing with them.

Even if your lawn already makes the neighbors green with envy, you’re likely to face a few of those common lawn problems. Knowing how to handle them can mean the difference between working on your lawn and simply enjoying it.

The best way to keep your lawn looking great year after year is to fertilize, water, and mow it properly. While you’ll find a plethora of chemical herbicides and pesticides, the healthiest lawns resist weeds and pests without them. An online survey of our readers conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center (see “Growing Great Grass”) revealed what worked--and didn’t work--for them and their lawn services.


1. Crabgrass

Crabgrass
Vigorous, adaptable, and fast-growing, crabgrass thrives best in lawns that are underfertilized and mowed too low. Controlling it isn’t hard, but timing is crucial; many homeowners apply pre-emergence herbicides in late spring or summer, when it’s too late for them to do any good.

The remedy: Instead, apply corn gluten meal, a natural option, in the early spring. It helps prevent crabgrass and fertilizes. Your local cooperative extension or nursery can tell you the best time. Then keep crabgrass at bay by feeding the desirable grasses with ample water and fertilizer--and by mowing high.

Products with dithiopyr, prodiamine, or pendimethalin are typical chemical alternatives. The EPA considers all three possible human carcinogens, however. If you do use them, as with all herbicides and pesticides, be sure to wear rubber gloves, eye protection, long pants, closed shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt. And follow the directions precisely.

2. Dandelions

This perennial weed tends to thrive in thin lawns with too little fertilizer. Dandelions develop a long and thick taproot, so pulling out just the flower isn’t enough. You must remove or kill the entire root, or the plant will resprout. And you should do so before the flowers mature and spread their seeds.

The remedy: Use a specialized, fork-like tool to pull plants and taproots out by hand. While selective herbicides with a combination of 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba are effective chemical alternatives, the EPA considers 2,4-D and MCPP possible human carcinogens and says that dicamba can cause reproductive problems. If you decide to use those broadleaf herbicides, apply them in fall, not spring. Use granular products on wet grass, liquids on dry (but not droughty) grass.


3. Other weeds

Dallisgrass, nimblewill, quackgrass, and tall fescue develop into unsightly patches and clumps. They’re likeliest to invade areas that are drier, wetter, shadier, or otherwise different from the rest of the lawn.

The remedy: There is no selective herbicide or other shortcut for those weeds. While glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium are effective chemical remedies, the EPA considers glyphosate moderately toxic. What’s more, both chemicals require multiple applications and must be applied during periods of active growth.


4.Fungus

Experts agree: Fungicides are a waste of time and money. “By the time most fungus disease is obvious, the conditions that caused it have passed. So homeowners wind up treating the symptom--dead grass--not the cause,” says Zac Reicher, professor of turfgrass science at Purdue University. What’s more, that patch of dead grass is likelier to have been caused by your neighbor’s dog than by fungus.

The remedy: Fungus must be diagnosed and treated before grass begins to die--a challenge for most homeowners because it’s hard to spot or identify. Instead, look for typical causes such as too much water, improper mowing, and fertilizing at the wrong time of year. Then replant the dead area with a suitable grass type.


5. Moss

Moss over the rocks
Spread by spores, moss is an attractive ground cover that many homeowners cultivate. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably not one of them.

You can kill moss with a spray, but unless you change the conditions that encourage it, back it will come. A healthy colony of moss in your lawn means too much shade; acidic, compacted, or wet soil; or too little fertilizer.

The remedy: For very shady areas, reseed with shade-tolerant grasses such as creeping red fescue or St. Augustine and mow them high to maximize their light-trapping leaf surface. Also keep trees and shrubs properly pruned. For moss in low-lying or moist areas, water only when you see signs of too little moisture (when footprints in the grass remain and don’t spring back, for instance).

If the soil is compacted, have a pro aerate it using a piston-driven aerator. For poor drainage, be sure the area is properly graded. If trees, shrubs, or structures prevent you from regrading the area, use underground drainage pipes or create a sump drain--essentially a hole in the ground with a grate over it.

Also check the soil’s acidity, or pH, and adjust it as needed. Test it yourself using an inexpensive kit or meter, or bring soil samples to a nursery, cooperative extension service, or lab. Raise the pH of acidic soil with limestone, and lower the pH of soil that is too alkaline with sulfur, though the latter is a much slower process. Moss prefers acidic soil but will grow in alkaline soil if shade and moisture are favorable.


6. Too much shade

Most lawn grasses don’t like shade, even “shade-tolerant” varieties. While pruning most shade trees every three to five years is usually a good idea, pruning too often or too much can damage the tree.

The remedy: Replace lawn beneath trees with bishop’s hat, sweet woodruff, or other shade-tolerant ground cover as the tree grows and creates more shade. Then use shade-tolerant grasses at the edges of the area. Trim back high hedges. Azalea, Canada hemlock, common boxwood, flowering quince, Japanese boxwood, Japanese holly, lilac, myrtle, privet, rhododendron, roses, and winterberry can be cut back as far as needed. Shorten common hedges such as arborvitae, English laurel, firethorn, and Japanese yew only a few inches each pruning, and don’t cut into bare, leafless stems. The best time to prune either is in early spring, before the first flush of growth.


7. Compacted soil

Soil beneath most lawns eventually becomes hard and compacted, even if you prepared it perfectly before planting. The more you walk on the lawn, the faster the soil compacts. Once soil is compacted, water and fertilizer can’t reach the lawn’s roots, weakening them and allowing weeds to grow. But staying off wet lawns could help delay the inevitable.

The remedy: Soil, or core, aeration is the solution. But it’s a job best left to the specialists. Those professionals use piston-driven aerators with tines that move straight up and down, rather than the lightweight, less-effective aerators you’ll find at many rental yards.


8. Grubs

Grubs
Those small beetle larvae live in the soil and feed on lawn roots. A few grubs aren’t a big deal. But too many cause irregularly shaped sections to wilt and die.

Check for grubs by cutting into the lawn near the edge of a brown area and lifting the sod. If it comes up easily, like rolling up carpet, you’ve got grubs. Odds are, you’ll see those milky-white, worm-like creatures with brown heads and three pairs of legs curled into a C shape.

The remedy: Combine Heterorhabditis nematodes (sold in paste-like form) with water and apply to the soil in the spring or fall. Wait a couple of days and reseed or replant any damaged areas. However, chemical insecticides with imidacloprid or halofenozide aren’t effective on mature grubs. So if you choose to use one of those chemicals, apply it in July and August when grubs are immature.


9. Dog urine

Brown spots in the lawn
Small brown spots surrounded by dark green grass is a telltale sign of dog urine. Nitrogen in the urine kills the grass in the center, where its concentration is highest, while darkening the grass at the edges. Those spots are most likely to show up during hot and dry weather, when lawns are under greater stress. Don’t bother with animal repellents; they’re of little or no use, according to the experts we interviewed. A motion-activated sprinkler system might help discourage droppings, but it won’t distinguish between dogs, deliverymen, and welcome guests.

The remedy: Spots of dead grass will often repair themselves eventually. For a quicker fix, cut out the dead spot and fill it in with plugs cut from a strip of sod. Bring a clump from your lawn to the nursery to match grass types. Or wait until grass-planting time--usually in the fall--and sow fresh seed after clearing away the dead grass and loosening the soil.


10. Moles

Moles
Those bothersome rodent-like critters tunnel through soil searching for earthworms, grubs, and ants. Moles tend to tunnel closer to the surface in spring when soil is moist, leaving a zigzag trail of raised soil. A barrier of chicken wire that extends 1 foot deep around your yard might help keep them out. But because moles can dig deeper than that and occasionally travel short distances above ground, even barriers are only marginally effective.

The remedy: Trapping a mole is the only way to be sure you’re rid of it. While harpoon-type mole traps work best, handling them is risky and requires skill. Once you’ve spotted an active tunnel, you’ll need to depress the ridge of soil and set the trap over it; the mole will trigger the trap as it moves through the tunnel.

Bromethalin, the active ingredient in a new mole bait, is a chemical alternative to mole traps. What’s more, baiting is far more effective than home remedies, according to experts. On the downside, while the mole will die underground, eliminating the need for you to handle and dispose of it, you won’t know whether you’ve killed it.

2520King

And if you are in a drout every thing dies. LOL

Ducati996

So true but its funny when customers ask, why their lawn & plants died this year. Ya think it would be obvious? they didnt plant cactus thats for sure !

JDFANATIC

Duc,

Some good stuff here. I've kind of changed my regimine to the following:

Early spring. Plug aerate and put down a granular pre-emergent. I've never used corn gluten meal, but have had good luck with Scots and Lesco pre-emergents.

Late spring. 2,4-D liquid for broadleaf weeds.

Summer. (when the soil warms up) Grub products containing Merit. (This year I also used liquid Diazanone). Subsequent 2,4-D applications as needed to control clover and other broadleaf weeds.

Fall. Plug aerate and over seed. At this time I put down a general granular fertilizer like 12-12-12 and lime. Before putting down lime you really should check for acidity, but here in New England we are known for our clay and farmers put down 1-ton per acre of lime to break down the clay. I do the same.

I also mulch leaves to get organic material into the soil and I use a mulch kit on my mower deck yearround and mow frequently. The last component is water . . . they say 1" per week is right, but I'm probably guilty of overwatering but I like the results:

Cheers

JDFANATIC

JD2210, 62C MMM, 210 FEL w/53" Bucket, Heated Cab, 46" Single-Stage Snowthrower, PTO Spreader, Folding ROPS, FEMCO Sprayer, JD Plug Aerator and assorted other attachments.

Ducati996

Nice results ! Iwant to come over and have a picnic on it !

Now I can see where my dog would want to just rub his back all day long in that lawn -




p.s I was incorrect on an earlier post -Dylox is trichlorfon, had Diazanone confuse with that

JDFANATIC

Duc,

Thanks for the compliments! My neighbor's (several have gotten together to raise doberman show dogs) take care of the playing in the grass. I do have, however, one mean cat called King Oreo. It's not that he's mean, but our property is his domain. Today he had a neighbor's cat 25' in the air at the end of a dying limb. His cries brought me running out from our house. At first I couldn't discern exactly where his cries were coming from, but eventually when I looked up, and was shocked to see him in the crook of a tree. The other fuddskin was at the end of the dying limb and Oreo was growling and wagging his tail like a dog. I called to the cat and he scalled down about three or four feet, but then, in a flash, was back in the face of the other cat. About 20 min's later, Oreo began to try to climb down. Already, I was trying to figure ways of getting my 20' ladder into the woods to get him down. But no; like a squirrel, Oreo, used the branches of adjacent trees to scale down. Even when branches broke under his weight, he was wise enough to only partially put weight on one single paw. Anyway, the stupid cat finally jumped into my arms, but growled all the way back to our home.

Here is a pic of this nitwit in a docile moment:

Cheers

JDFANATIC

JD2210, 62C MMM, 210 FEL w/53" Bucket, Heated Cab, 46" Single-Stage Snowthrower, PTO Spreader, Folding ROPS, FEMCO Sprayer, JD Plug Aerator and assorted other attachments.

Ducati996

he is a tom cat , is he fixed or free form ? they were both in the tree or was Oreo preventing the other from getting down? he looks so nice and peaceful in that picture

JDFANATIC

Duc,

He's a stray but fixed, and the amazing thing is how docile he normally is. We have another cat that is only a few pounds less, but is nowhere as athletic as this one. In the course of a "normal" day, Oreo will catch several dozen birds, mice, and who knows whatever else is out there. One day my wife observed him chasing a snake down our driveway. This is a hunter cat. One day I watched him trap a bird between his paws on a branch of one of our weeping cherry trees. What makes this trap significant, is that Oreo was sitting on a rock at least 5' below the bird. When he blasted into the air and caught the bird between his front two paws was astonishing. When gravity took over, and the cat and his catch fell to earth, made me and the Mrs. break out into laughter. Oreo on his way downwards, hung on almost until impact, but at the last moment, let go of the bird and landed like an airplane. Bottom line, Oreo is still patrolling the treeline, the vermin population in the area has significantly been lessened. Meawhile, our fuddskinns is just a cute little nest-raider!

Cheers

JDFANATIC

JD2210, 62C MMM, 210 FEL w/53" Bucket, Heated Cab, 46" Single-Stage Snowthrower, PTO Spreader, Folding ROPS, FEMCO Sprayer, JD Plug Aerator and assorted other attachments.

Ducati996

Just like their bigger cousins -tigers, lions, etc...all personality
at times I wish I had cats instead of a dog - much easier to handle

JDFANATIC

Duc,

Funny you mention it; the Mrs. and I are dog lovers . . . but we like our freedom to come and go. We always said when we settled down (whatever that means), we would have dogs (labs, german shepards all come to mind).

Well, a few winters ago, a stray cat in the area gave birth to a litter. Three took up residence under our deck. This was a really cold winter and one immediately didn't survive. The other two kept their faces perched at our slider. I started by giving them milk. The next thing you knew, they were coming into the house for treats. Soon thereafter they became members of the family.

It's funny how we always suspected dogs would be part of our home and lifestyle, but we are now tied-down with feline characters. Hmm. Maybe we should be getting out heads examined!

Cheers

JDFANATIC

JD2210, 62C MMM, 210 FEL w/53" Bucket, Heated Cab, 46" Single-Stage Snowthrower, PTO Spreader, Folding ROPS, FEMCO Sprayer, JD Plug Aerator and assorted other attachments.