Does your lawn struggle?

By Gary Deters

Under the right circumstances and with proper knowledge, maintaining a healthy lawn can be simple. Alternatively without proper knowledge and under unfavorable circumstances, such as poor soil quality, maintaining a lawn can be difficult. Sometimes the lawn takes care of itself under a good growing environment or if weather conditions are not too harsh. For example, a lawn in a park with sufficient sunlight, water, and limited traffic can thrive when it is not exposed to stressful conditions (Figure 1), but a small area with sufficient sunlight, water, but a lot of foot traffic can fail because the stress becomes too much to handle (Figure 2). 

an expanse of green healthy lawn in a park
Figure 1. A park in Paris, France that is full sun and does not allow foot traffic. Photo by Gary Deters.

If you are a frequent visitor to our website or subscribe to our newsletter, you know ou.r turfgrass science team often offers tips and solutions to lawn problems. It could be best seed selections for a drought tolerant lawn, higher mowing heights for deeper roots, or making sure your rain sensor is working correctly with your irrigation system. If you struggle with poor lawn conditions, you might be able to solve it by using a different management practice. 

Problem: mowing too short 

Mowing your lawn too short can lead to:

  • Shorter leaf blades which reduces the ability to photosynthesize leading to weaker plants.
  • Shallow rooting and consequently less drought-resistance.
  • An influx of weeds because thin areas in the yard allow space for weeds like crabgrass, knotweed and dandelions.

Solution 

  1. Raising your height of cut to at least 3” will help keep out weeds, reduce plant stress and create a more favorable growing environment for your lawn. 

Problem: overwatering 

Giving your lawn too much water can lead to:

  • Weak turfgrass because waterlogged soil creates unfavorable conditions for grass and can result in shallow rooting.
  • The promotion of turfgrass disease.
  • More creeping Charlie, especially in shady areas.

Solution

  1. Adjust your irrigation schedule to deep and infrequent (1 day a week, possibly 2) with several cycles throughout the early morning to allow for absorption and prevent runoff.
  2. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, install a soil moisture sensor which monitors conditions and can prevent unnecessary watering.
  3. Improve drainage by aerating, which helps relieve compaction and allows for better root growth and more drought resistance.
  4. Spring is a great time to begin limiting your water use. There is less evaporation than during hot summer months and because cooler temperatures are less stressful to plants, it allows for better root growth. If you water deep and infrequently it creates an environment that forces your grass roots to grow in search of water.
     

Since turf loss can be a result of both cultural and environmental stresses, pinpointing the exact issue might take more than just raising your heights or watering less, but I think it is worth trying first.

a before and after picture of an area of turfgrass behind a red metal bench. The before picture has a worn foot path in the grass, while the after picture has a new paver pathway that has replaces the worn footpath.
Figure 2. A small area outside a restaurant in full sun where people cut across the grass and wore out a path (top) and the same area a year later after a paver pathway was installed (bottom). Photos by Gary Deters.

Problem: traffic stress

Foot traffic places stress on grass for several different reasons. In frequently used areas, the soil can become compacted, which can lead to reduced pore space that limits air and water movement. This compromises the roots and makes it difficult to recover from repeated traffic; over time you will see a decline in your lawn’s appearance and function. Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue are more traffic tolerant than fine fescue, but every species has its limits when it comes to excessive foot traffic.

Solution

  1. Try to disperse foot traffic in the yard, if possible.
  2. Aerate your lawn to help to relieve compaction by creating more pore space for better root growth.
  3. Try to introduce more traffic tolerant species through overseeding. We like to suggest turf-type tall fescue because it is more drought and shade tolerant and establishes quicker than Kentucky bluegrass.


Hopefully these simple steps can help you improve your lawn. If you have additional lawn questions, there are a number of ways you can get help. As a first step, you can, “Ask a Master Gardener” from UMN Extension. Another way to get lawn advice is to subscribe to our newsletter. Our turfgrass team has several outreach events throughout the summer where we will be available for questions and answers. So if you are having some problems in your lawn, bring some photos and we can point you in the right direction to get your lawn on the road to recovery. Monitor our website and follow our social media account on X to see when we will be in your area this spring or summer.
 

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Gary Deters
lawn care