Have you noticed any ugly dead patches on your lawn? Seeing these brown spots ruining your lush green stretch of grass can be annoying and alarming. Although, at first, these spots seem innocent, they may be a sign of a more significant issue in your yard. The first step when treating these patches is to identify their cause. Let’s discuss the causes of dead patches on grass and how to fix them to get your beautiful green lawn back.
The most common causes of dead patches on grass include heat and drought, fungal lawn diseases, and poor soil quality. Also, insects like grubs, dog urine, and spilled chemicals can make your lawn patchy. To fix the problem, remove the dead grass and debris first, dethatch and aerate your yard, then topdress with compost. After that, reseed or resod with a suitable grass type and water your lawn adequately until it establishes fully.
Common Causes of Dead Patches on Grass

i. Heat and drought: Extreme heat or prolonged drought causes grass to turn brown or die.
ii. Lawn diseases: Fungal lawn diseases like brown patch causes circular patches of brown or dead grass. The condition is most active during spring and fall.
iii. Poor soil quality: If your soil lacks essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, your grass may die.
iv. Grubs and other pests: When insects like grubs and chinch bugs feed on your lawn, they cause significant damage to the grassroots, leading to dead patches.
v. Dog urine: When dogs pee on the lawn, the nitrates in the urine burn the grass and kill it in that area.
vi. Spilled chemicals: Spilled gasoline, pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals can quickly kill your lawn or cause dead spots.
How to Fix Dead Patches on Lawn

If you need to know how to fix dead grass, here’s the step-by-step process;
1. Remove dead grass and debris
Clear the dead grass and other debris from the yard to prevent pests and lawn diseases from spreading.
2. Dethatch and aerate your lawn
A thick thatch layer prevents moisture, sunlight, and nutrients from penetrating the roots. Therefore, dethatch and aerate your lawn to improve the overall health of your property.
3. Topdress with compost
If you see patches of dead grass on the lawn, one leading cause is poor soil. So, topdress your yard with compost to provide essential nutrients and improve soil quality and structure.
4. Reseed or resod
After removing dead grass, aerating, and topdressing with compost, it’s time to reseed or resod your lawn. Use grass seeds or sod that are suitable for your climate.
5. Water your lawn
Grass seeds and sod requires adequate water to establish roots and grow healthy. Therefore, water your lawn deeply and infrequently. Follow the proper watering schedule in your region for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Should dead grass be removed?
A: Removing dead grass before reseeding is crucial, allowing for a healthier and greener lawn. It’s worth noting that leaving dead grass in the yard for a prolonged period weakens the turf around it. As a result, more grass will die.
Q: Can dead grass grow back?
A: If your grass is truly dead, it can’t revive or grow back. Therefore, to regrow your lawn, remove the dead grass first, then sod or reseed. You can also replace grass with new landscaping material like rocks, ground cover, or mulch.
Wrapping It Up
Nothing ruins a lush and green property more than patches of dead grass on the lawn. You may have brown patches in your yard for various reasons, including heat, drought, and fungal lawn diseases.
Other causes are poor soil quality, insects like grubs and bugs, dog urine, and spilled chemicals. To fix the problem, remove the dead grass and debris first, dethatch and aerate your lawn, then topdress with compost.
Afterward, reseed and water your lawn adequately until the grass establishes fully.