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Fix Your Lawn’s Dry Patches with a Sprinkler System
Are you looking for a trustworthy lawn sprinkler service in Brampton to help you get rid of unwanted dry patches on your lawn?
These dry spots can occur anywhere on your lawn at any time of the year. However, they are more common in the summer due to high temperatures and low rainfall. And if you do not take care of them at the right time, the grass can thin out or even die.
In that situation, a lawn sprinkler installation can cover all the desired areas without overusing water.
Are dry spots a recurring issue on your lawn? Are you looking for a solution? Keep reading to learn their causes and how to cure the problem.
Let’s get started.
Dry Lawn Patches: What Do They Mean?
When we think of the ideal lawn, healthy greenery comes to mind. But when you see patches or irregular areas of your lawn turning brown, that is a dry spot.
Dry soil due to prolonged hot, dry weather can cause grass to turn brown. Fortunately, there is usually a good chance of recovery once it rains.
However, with dry patches, there is no recovery after rain as the soil in certain areas becomes water-repellent. As a result, the water cannot penetrate the soil to reach the roots and your lawn’s grass continues to suffer from severe drought, even in wet weather. The result is patches of dead grass, with the soil proving very difficult to re-wet.
What Causes Dry Spots on Your Lawn?
There are many reasons for dry spots. These include:
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Insufficient Moisture
This is a significant reason for dry patches. You can check whether your lawn is suffering from insufficient moisture by pushing a metal rod back and forth into the ground. This will make a hole so you can see whether the soil is dry.
If it is, water the dry spots and see if that improves the lawn. Sometimes it may take a couple of weeks for the grass to look like the rest of your lawn.
The soil needs to be four inches wet in order to be properly watered. Shallow watering will only encourage shallow rooting which will have a negative effect on summer heat.
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Poor Soil
The quality of soil can vary from one location to another, and poor soil quality can cause dry spots in lawns. This can lead to brown and bare areas, or moss in some cases.
Compacted soil is another significant cause of dry patches. You need to inspect your lawn to answer certain questions like:
- Does the location where the dry patches occurred receive heavy traffic?
- Do you have clay-based soil?
- Have you ever core aerated your lawn?
Depending on these answers, you may have compacted soil. Heavy foot traffic can cause soil to compact, because of which the grass does not get enough moisture. Compacted soil compresses the soil structure and squeezes the tiny air holes, preventing water from seeping downward. Only the surface remains wet, and the roots dry out. Clay soil tends to compact much more easily than other types of soil.
To fix the situation, you need to core aerate your lawn and spread a compost topdressing (a surface application of fertilizer) to fill in the holes. The holes will open the lawn, allowing water and air into the root zone. This will help retain moisture, feed the microorganisms, and add organic matter to the soil to help prevent compaction. Repeat this process once a year for a few years to add enough organic matter to alter the soil composition. This will improve the quality of your soil.
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Animal Urine
Dog urine can also cause dry spots on your lawn because of its high amounts of nitrogen and related salts. When concentrated urine collects in a single area, lawn damage happens.
Dry patches on the grass can also be caused by the urination of birds and other animals. Nitrogen in the urine that has been diluted usually leaves yellow marks, sometimes with a green ring around the edges. In these situations, just remove the dead grass and fill in the areas with sod plugs.
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Chemicals
Different chemicals like fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, if applied more than required, can cause dry spots. Even insect repellents can burn the grass if used improperly, as will fertilizer that is sprayed unevenly. Hence, use chemicals with caution and always abide by the instructions.
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Poor Irrigation
When parts of our lawn start to die, we often assume that a specific pest or disease problem is to blame. But dry brown spots may also be caused by inadequate irrigation coverage. Therefore, you must make sure that your irrigation system is set up to provide complete coverage.
To ensure this, examine the placement of irrigation heads, the strain on the systems, and the sorts of heads being used. All of these factors may result in uneven coverage.
If you haven’t had your irrigation system audited in a while, it’s probably time. Leaks and broken or imbalanced sprinkler heads may also be to blame for patchy irrigation coverage. Fixing these problems and perhaps relocating sprinkler heads can help a lot.
A functioning sprinkler system makes it easy to ensure your lawn gets the water it needs to grow lush and full. So, this summer, if you are experiencing dry spots on your lawn, don’t let it get worse. If there is an issue with your lawn, it’s best not to wait. Early diagnosis and solutions can successfully treat what ails your lawn and landscape. Call irrigation sprinkler experts near you to help in your lawn care process.
