How to Start Repairing a Damaged Lawn For Spring

21 Jan 2022Lawn Care

Est. Read Time: 5 minutes

Avatar Name

Label

Repairing A Lawn For Spring Dallas Tx

As your lawn grass comes out of dormancy in the spring, you might notice some problem areas in your yard. It’s not uncommon to see yellowed or dead patches of grass in the yard, especially after a particularly cold or dry winter.

Drought and cold are among the most likely culprits for winter damage. Driving heavy equipment over a dormant lawn or spilling ice melt products on the grass may also cause patches of grass to die. Disease could also be a culprit, especially after very cold or wet winters.

Dead grass can be replanted easily. However, before repairing the lawn you’ll want to figure out what caused the problem and, if possible, try to correct it to help keep the new grass healthy. Taking care of lawn damage promptly in the spring can help keep diseases from spreading and prevent weeds from taking over bare patches of the yard.

Repairing A Lawn For Spring Dallas Tx

Types of Winter Lawn Damage

Lawns can be damaged by a variety of things including harsh weather, lack of water, overfertilization, and turf disease. The type of damage that shows up in the spring is often due to stressful winter conditions or one of several types of diseases.

In a severe winter, some of the warm-season Texas grass in your lawn can be killed by cold temperatures. If this is the case, you can replant the lawn with new grass. If cold was the culprit, you may consider replanting with the more cold-hardy zoysia grass.

Salt and snow-melt materials can also cause lawn damage over the winter. If you used salt to melt snow and ice on your sidewalks or the city used it on roads, the mineral build-up can damage grass. If you’re noticing dying grass near roads and pavement, water the lawn heavily to wash out accumulated salt and minimize damage.

Identifying Potential Diseases

Several types of turf disease can affect Texas lawns. Molds and other fungus diseases may show up if the weather was very wet overwinter. Fertilizing too late the previous year can also cause the grass to be more susceptible to disease.

If you notice patches of strange colored grass in your yard, take a closer look. Spring Dead Spot appears early in the year as patches of straw-colored grass with black, rotting roots. Pink Snow Mold shows up as reddish-brown patches across the yard. Brown Patch causes yellowed grass that pulls up easily, and it shows up during cool and moist weather in the spring, fall, or winter.

Those aren’t the only diseases that can affect Texas grass, but they’re among the most likely to show up during the spring. For these and other turf diseases, repairing the lawn involves a blend of preventative measures and chemical controls. Carefully avoid overfertilization and overwatering, and aerate the lawn once a year to improve drainage and strengthen grass roots. Applying fungicides will help slow the spread and get rid of infections already present in your lawn. The type of fungicide you use should match your type of grass and the type of lawn disease you’re treating. If you’re not sure which disease may be affecting your grass, contact a lawn care professional for assistance.

Replanting Grass

If patches of grass have died due to drought or damage, the areas should be replanted with an appropriate grass species. You can also replant areas killed by disease, but only after you treat the underlying problem by addressing issues like poor drainage, overfertilization, and fungus.

The best option for planting new grass in the spring is to use sprigs, plugs, or sod. If you want to replant using seed, the best time to do this is in the fall. Just make sure that you stay vigilant about keeping weeds from growing up in the bare patches if you choose to wait until fall to replant the lawn.

If drought was an issue, choose a more drought-tolerant type of grass when you reseed or plant. Zoysia is a warm-season grass that will grow in sun or shade. It grows slowly, so it requires less mowing, but it also forms a lush lawn that tolerates foot traffic and is very water efficient. Zoysia also has good cold resistance.

For full sun areas, Bermuda or Bahia grass are good choices, particularly for high-traffic lawns. St. Augustine grass prefers dappled shade, so it’s a good option if you have trees in your yard. Just remember that St. Augustine grass isn’t as cold-tolerant as the other warm-season grasses so it’s not an ideal choice for northern Texas.

Keeping the Lawn Healthy

Getting your lawn on a regular mowing and fertilization schedule can help stressed lawns recover more quickly. For warm-season grass, it is most important to fertilize in late spring through late summer. Several applications of compost or the use of time-release chemical fertilizers will ensure grass receives the nutrients it needs throughout the year. Be sure to stop fertilizing in the fall before the weather starts to cool. This will give the grass time to “harden off” before going into winter, helping prevent lawn disease.

Dethatching and aerating will also help your existing grass recover and ensure that new grass remains healthy. Thatch is a layer of dead grass that builds up on top of the soil. A thin layer of thatch is good, but if there’s more than a half-inch you should remove it with a dethatching machine or rake. You should also aerate the lawn once a year to prevent soil compaction and allow fertilizer and water to reach grass roots.

Making sure you repair winter lawn damage in the spring will contribute to a healthy, good-looking lawn. Treating any disease that you spot in the spring, replanting damaged areas, and keeping up with regular lawn maintenance will ensure that your grass remains both attractive and healthy all year long.