The Many Reasons Your Lawn May be Yellow

There are many reasons why grass may look yellow and dry.  First things first, your irrigation system needs to be working correctly.  This means there cannot be any broken sprinklers, clogged nozzles, or misaligned heads.  Make sure you are using the right type of sprinkler in the right place.  Turf, trees, shrubs and flowers sometimes benefit more from different types of sprinklers. Learn what type your plants need.  It is also important to ensure you are watering your plants and grass and not the sidewalk.  No matter what your parents taught you, you can’t get a bigger driveway by watering it.

Second, grass is very temperamental depending on how often and how much you water your lawn.  If you over-water your grass on a regular basis, your grass will have very shallow roots. Shallow roots will cause your grass to be more susceptible to burning on hot days, or getting funguses and diseases.  On the other hand, under watering your grass will cause it to become dormant and turn yellow because there is simply not enough water getting to the roots. The amount of water that should be applied to your grass should change throughout the year.  Below is a simple chart with appropriate recommendations for how much water you should apply throughout the year:

May – June15th ………….1 inches/week

June 16th – July 15^th …..1 ½ inches/week

July 16^th – Aug 15^th ……2 inches/week

Aug 16^th – Sep 30^th……..1 ½ inches/week