Is Your Grass Turning Yellow?

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What To Do When Your Grass Is Green On Top and Brown On Bottom

The secret to growing a perfect green lawn is balance. Sunlight, fertilization, lawn treatments, mowing, and proper watering all play a factor is create a lush, emerald green landscape. When one of these components of great lawn care is left for nature to handle, homeowners may notice their grass turning yellow. If your backyard currently looks more yellow than green, take a look at what could be causing it and how you can fix it.

Chlorosis

Chlorosis is caused by a lack of nutrients like nitrogen and iron and often occurs during hotter temperatures. During summer months, the soil temperatures rise. When this is paired with high pH levels, the soil is not able to soak up the nutrients it needs, and grassroots need to grow healthy. To combat chlorosis, it is best to treat your lawn regularly, which helps to break down the pH levels.

  1. Lawn Mower Blade is Dull
    If only the tips of the grass are yellow, it may be as simple as replacing the blade on your lawn mower. When blades are dull, instead of making a clean cut, they fray the edges and cause grass to appear yellow.
  2. Soil Compaction
    If you notice grass turning yellow near heavy traffic areas in your backyard, like just off the patio or by a kid’s play area, the cause is most likely soil compaction. Oxygen and water are unable to circulate through the soil which keeps the grass from growing properly. The best fix for this problem to aerate your yard.
  3. Cutting the Grass too Short
    Cutting grass too short can also cause grass to yellow right after mowing. To prevent yellowing, increase the height of your mower before mowing again.
  4. Lawn Pests
    Insects like chinch bugs can cause serious damage to lawns, if not managed in a timely fashion. If you think you have a bug infestation, contact a lawn care professional to treat the grass immediately and create a treatment program to prevent them from returning.
  5. Lawn Diseases
    Several lawn diseases cause grass to turn yellow, including fairy rings or snow mold. To reverse the impact of a lawn disease, you need to treat the lawn with a fungicide.
  6. Lack of Water
    A common cause of grass turning yellow is lack of water. This especially true during the hot summer months in New Jersey. To revive the grass, water for more extended periods of time, but less frequently. This allows the water to make its way into the soil and the grass to root deeply resulting in a stronger lawn.

Grass turning yellow can cause homeowners a great amount of stress. If you have questions or need assistance with your lawn care, contact Perennial Lawn Care today.

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