6 pesky lawn problems and how to fix them

Mary Farrell

Is the grass always greener on other side of the fence? Not to worry. Tips from Consumer Reports’ lawn care experts will help you whip your lawn into shape without spending a bundle—or blasting the yard with chemicals. First things first: Spend $10 to $15 for a soil test by your local cooperative extension. An expert report will tell you precisely which soil nutrients are needed to maintain a lush, green lawn, plus how and when to apply them. Here are some other easy ways to deal with lawn eyesores.

Lots of shady areas

If you can’t beat the shade, join it—by replacing the grass with flowers and plants that don’t need a lot of sunlight. Wax begonias and torenias are two flowering annuals that add pops of color. So do New Guinea impatiens, and they’re not susceptible to the mildew-induced disease that has infected garden impatiens in recent years. Among perennials, lungworts produce pretty blue, pink, or white flower clusters, and their leaves are spotted with silver or white. Also check out plants with pretty foliage. The deep red leaves of the coleus, an annual, and the peach-colored foliage of the perennial coral bells will brighten a shady area.

Brown spots from dog

Those small brown patches, often surrounded by a ring of dark green, tend to show up during hot and dry weather when lawns are under greater stress. The fastest and easiest fix is to cut out the dead spot and fill it with plugs cut from sod. Head to a nursery with a clump from your lawn and find a strip of sod that matches, or wait until the fall and sow fresh seed after clearing the dead grass and loosening the soil.

Too many dandelions

Learn to live with the yellow-topped weed. It’s not harming your lawn; in fact, it can actually improve soil structure. Just be sure to mow the heads off before they go to seed. If you just can’t deal with the dandelions, use a fork-like dandelion weeder to pull out the long, thick taproots. Remove the entire root, or the plant will resprout.

Crazy crabgrass

This weed not only is an eyesore but also usually dies off at the first frost, leading to soil erosion. Instead of dousing with chemical herbicides, try corn gluten meal, a natural alternative, then follow with a slow-release fertilizer. Another tip: Don’t mow your lawn too short during the growing season—3½ to 4 inches is perfect—because that will allow crabgrass to take over again.

Bald spots

First dig up the bald spot, plus 6 inches of surrounding soil, to a depth of about 2 inches. Take out any large rocks because they’ll impede grass growth. Smooth out the soil, add a small amount of starter fertilizer or plant-based compost, and disperse seeds evenly over the area. Cover with a light layer of straw or peat moss and keep moist until seeds start to sprout. The best time to do this is in the spring.

Neighbor’s yard is a mess

A hedge or other type of living screen offers an instant fix, though you’ll have to pay top dollar for tall, mature plants. Depending on the severity of the problem, you could also take matters into your own hands and hire someone to mow your neighbor’s lawn. That tactic might not sit well if your neighbor is just plain lazy, but if he’s elderly or unable to manage the yard on his own, it’s a good deed that benefits you both.

A mower for the lawn you grow

Self-propelled mowers

Push mowers

—Adapted from ShopSmart magazine



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