New Landscape Makes a Yard Feel New Again

Lawn care can be a deceptively simple task until something goes noticeably wrong. While you can't always spot problems before they emerge, many provide evidence before they become full-blown messes. You should monitor your lawn for these four signs something isn't right.

Unexplained Browning

There are scenarios where grass and other plants may brown for sensible reasons. Drought is the most likely one. However, a lawn shouldn't have brown patches as long as the conditions are suitable and there's enough water. If you're seeing a broad browning throughout the yard, it's time to talk with a lawn care services provider.

Patches

You also may see patches where the grass is yellowing, browning, or dying. It may just be thin, too. Regardless, this is rarely a good sign.

Notably, there may be animals coming onto the property. Urine can cause patchiness. Use a field camera to rule out this possibility. Target the worst zone where the patches appear.

Once you have ruled animal causes out, you'll need to consider lawn care solutions. A zone in a yard might get too much sunlight, for example. Adding a small tree or bush could provide shade and revive the lawn. Similarly, the issue could involve poor nutrition, and you may need to apply fertilizer.

Weed Growth

A more subtle sign a lawn is struggling is the intense growth of weeds. If it seems like the weeds are the dominant plants, the problem may be that the desirable plants are floundering. The weeds are winning because they're more capable of thriving in adverse conditions.

A lawn care services company will have to stop the weeds and support the plants you want. You may need to find plants suited to the conditions. If you're struggling to grow plants in a shady spot, for example, you may want to add some plants like hostas that love the shade.

Uncontrolled Landscape Features

Especially when you first take over a property, there may be some old landscaping features that go out of control. For example, some folks install forsythia as a living snow fence or windbreak. Those plants are ideal for that purpose, but they can clog an area if they go without maintenance. A professional can thin and trim the plants or remove them.

Virtually any type of plant has the potential to get out of control without attention. Even if a plant seems harmless, it's best to control your property's landscaping features to avoid the potential for problems.