How To Fix An Ugly Lawn: 7 Easy Cures For Unhealthy-looking Yards

Welcome to Super Secrets, a GOLF.com series in which we pick the brains of the game’s leading superintendents. By illuminating how course maintenance crews ply their trades, we’re hopeful we can not only give you a deeper appreciation for the important, innovative work they do but also provide you with maintenance tips that you can apply to your own little patch of paradise. Happy gardening!

An ugly lawn is like an unsightly ball flight: what you see is a symptom of a deeper problem. But how to fix it? That’s the trick. Just as there are swing doctors, so there are turf doctors, like David Phipps. A former superintendent who now serves as Northwest regional representative for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Phipps has come across his share of unhealthy-looking yards.

Here are 7 of his most common diagnoses, along with a few of his recommended cures.

1. You’ve got the wrong grasses

Not all turf is created equal. Different grass varieties have different traits that make them better suited to different climates and soil conditions, to say nothing of different maintenance practices. Suffice to say: make sure you’ve planted a suitable variety to begin with. Beyond that, stay on the lookout for invaders. Often, Phipps says, a discolored patch in your yard is an indication that a combination of inappropriate species has taken off.

Lifestyle

Bentgrass is a common culprit. Though it’s great for greens, it isn’t good for lawns, Phipps says, as it doesn’t take well to taller mowing heights.

The cure: Tearing up the turf and replanting works, but that’s a draconian approach. Though Phipps isn’t big on chemical applications on home lawns, in this instance, he says that the easiest fix is probably a targeted application of an herbicide.

2. You’re overwatering

It’s a far more common problem than under-watering, and it’s often much worse for your grass. “So many homeowners will just set their irrigation systems on a timer and just let them go, rain or shine,” Phipps says. They’re not only wasting water. They’re creating an unhealthy environment for the turf.

Lifestyle

The cure: Monitor your irrigation system more carefully. Don’t just set it and forget. Depending on your appetite for yard work, you might also switch to hand-watering, which gives you precise control of when and how much your grass gets to drink. Irrigation systems are also subject to leaks, so if you’re using one, make sure it’s not putting water in the wrong places and the wrong times.

3. You’re scalping

Scalping is when you mow so low that you expose the stems of your grass. This can be a beneficial practice if, for instance, you’re looking to start afresh or trying to get rid of excess winter build-up. But over-scalping can cause serious damage to the turf, and even kill it.