The most common reason a lawn will turn yellow or brown is due to something lacking in the lawn, which in turn is making the lawn sick. The most common causes of lawns turning yellow or brown are lack of nutrients, such as nitrogen, or lack of water.
(For example, Emerald Lawns provides fertilizer treatments throughout the year. We match different fertilizers based on the season, temperature, and your lawn's unique needs.) Nitrogen or iron supplements can restore yellow grass to green.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Nutritional deficiencies can lead to discoloration of your lawn. Nitrogen and iron are two of the most common deficiencies that cause yellow spots on your lawn. Nitrogen deficiencies cause leaves to turn yellow-green or yellow and your lawn will have stunted growth.
In this case, because the roots aren't damaged by the sun or heat, it means the grass is still alive under its yellow skin. If you wait till the heatwave is over and gradually water the grass, it will recover. A good tip to water during the summer or a heatwave is to avoid using sprinklers.
How to fix it - Give your grass a deep water. In the evening when temperatures are cooler and will give time for the grass and soil to soak up the water overnight. The type of soil you have will determine how quickly the water drains away - sandy soil, for example, may need more watering.
Too frequent watering keeps the grass wet and promotes fungal growth. If you're seeing mushrooms in your yard, you might be overwatering. Irregular brown patches on your lawn might not mean it's thirsty but that it is infected with anthracnose, which is another fungus that infects wet grass.
It may seem obvious, but if your grass is turning yellow and it's not the summer (meaning it's not hot), then chances are you're over-watering. To ensure that your soil is healthy and not low on nutrients, fertilize it. For example, the best fertilizer for yellow grass will have nitrogen and iron-infused ingredients.
Lawn Problems Caused by Excessive Rain and Over Watering
Disease caused by fungus – Too much water can cause grass roots to rot and can lead to disease which starts off as yellow patches in your yard; once fungus sets in, little can be done except reseeding the dead patches in the fall.
The most common reason a lawn will turn yellow or brown is due to something lacking in the lawn, which in turn is making the lawn sick. The most common causes of lawns turning yellow or brown are lack of nutrients, such as nitrogen, or lack of water.
Low nutrient levels can cause grass to turn yellow.
The grass could be lacking nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, or oxygen. Of all the nutrients listed, nitrogen is the most essential to the health of the lawn since it is what gives the grass a lush green color.
Signs that Your Lawn May Benefit from Iron Supplements
Common signs of iron deficiency throughout your lawn include (but are not limited to): Grass that is yellow or brown. Exposed patches of soil. An uneven weed-to-grass ratio.
The Milorganite organic nitrogen fertilizer is a great option for grass that is yellowing, grows slowly, or is susceptible to weeds. Unlike synthetic fertilizers that derive nitrogen from harmul sources, the nitrogen in Milorganite grass fertilizer is derived from natural sources.
Nitrogen-deficient turfgrass turns yellow and has reduced vigor. Iron deficiency is common in alkaline soils. Symptoms of iron deficient turf include yellow or bleached spots, which give leaf blades a mottled appearance. Potassium deficiency causes leaves to turn yellow and brown on margins.
Achieve Greener Foliage
This is a sign of a magnesium deficiency – provided you eliminated seasonal or other environmental causes which might have led to this situation. Use Epsom Salt in a solution and spray the yellow foliage once a month to keep it sparkling green.
Yellow Leaves + Fading to Green + or Bright Yellow =
These symptoms together mean that your plant is overwatered. Usually lower leaves drop first, although the whole plant may be affected. The solution = repot (to remove soaked soil) and water less, or let soil dry out and water less.
For a healthy lawn, don't water every day — this will result in your grass having a shallow root system. Instead, water deeply a few times per week to encourage deep roots. The depth of your grass roots determines how strong and healthy your lawn is.
Red-orange colored grass is a sign that the lawn is stressed and overwatered. This discoloration is caused by the rust fungus. Anthracnose and brown spots are also common in wet grasses.
Does your grass have yellow or brown spots? Lime can also cleanse the soil, remove toxicities and infuse the ground with essential nutrients. Consequently, this often clears up common grass and turf issues, leading to a healthier and better looking yard.
Fertilizer and Water
A day or two before applying fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly. After grass dries, apply fertilizer. Then lightly water again. This second watering is vitally important, because it washes fertilizer off grass blades and into soil.
Chinch bugs insert their mouthparts into the blades of grass and suck the juices. During this process, chinch bugs also release a toxin into the grass that makes it yellow and wilted, even after you get rid of them.
You might think that watering a little bit every day is a smart approach, but you'd be wrong. It's better to water “deeply and infrequently,” Cutler says. About a third of an inch every two to three days is a good goal.
It's Noticeably Wilting
One of the earliest and most obvious signs of dehydration in grass is wilting, when blades begin to curl over instead of standing up straight. If you don't take action right away, you will soon see the grass start to change color (which we discuss in more detail below).