How to Protect Your Lawn From Heat-Related Brown Spots

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From St. Augustine and fescue to buffalo and bermuda, it’s not uncommon for lawn grasses to develop brown spots during the summer.

As the temperature rises, lawns become stressed and, therefore, often die in certain areas. Granted, heat-stressed lawns may return to their normal, healthy state after the summer has ended.

Until this happens, though, they’ll feature characteristic brown patches. As a homeowner, you can protect your lawn from heat-related brown spots by following a few simple steps.

Water Regularly

Not surprisingly, one of the most effective ways to protect your lawn from heat-related brown spots is to water it regularly.

Without water, the hot summer weather will dry out your lawn. As your lawn becomes dehydrated, it will become brown and thin.

By watering your lawn regularly – about 20 to 30 minutes a day for most grass varieties – you can protect it from brown spots.

Just remember to check with your local city or county beforehand to ensure outdoor water use is allowed.

Limit Foot Traffic

If you have a sidewalk running through your lawn, use it rather than stepping directly on your lawn.

You won’t always be able to avoid walking on your lawn. Maybe you’re picking up fallen limbs after a storm, or perhaps you’re pulling weeds. Regardless, it’s okay to walk on your lawn, but you should try to limit the amount of food traffic to which your lawn is exposed.

Walking on an already heat-stressed lawn will only cause further stress, which may lead to the development of new brown spots or expansion of existing brown spots.

Mow Regularly… But Not Too Frequently

When summer rolls around, some homeowners assume they can stop mowing their lawn. After all, lawns typically grow the fastest during spring.

But failure to mow your lawn during the summer can result in weeds taking over your landscape.

As the weeds thrive, they’ll consume moisture and nutrients, restricting your lawn’s ability to grow.

So, how often should you mow your lawn during the summer?

It depends on the type of grass you have, but a good rule of thumb is to maintain cool season lawns at a height of 3 to 5 inches and warm season lawns at a height of two to three inches.

Use an Anti-Fungal Product

Brown spots that appear during summer are usually the result of heat-related stress. However, they can also be a sign of a fungal disease.

Specifically, brown patch disease, also known as Rhizoctonia, can cause brown spots to appear on otherwise healthy lawns.

Just a single application of an anti-fungal product, however, can protect your lawn from diseases such as this.

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