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Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Image Point

Dead patches can be caused by any number of maladies, including pests, fungi and even a pet’s personal habits. Identifying the cause is the key to treating the problem effectively.

Is your lawn looking a little rough around the edges? Or maybe you’ve got noticeable dead or weed-filled spots? If these problems are all-too familiar, it’s time to consider renovating your lawn.

What does that mean exactly? Lawn renovation includes diagnosing your turfgrass conditions and taking steps to cure your yard’s current ills. It generally means reseeding parts (or all) of your lawn with either the same or different species of turfgrass to improve its health and overall appearance. Secondary renovation goals may also include increasing your grass’ tolerance to traffic, shade or drought – some of the very things that may have caused your lawn to decline in the first place.

The first step in lawn renovation is investigating the various problems. Yes, this can take time, but it’s worth the effort. (And starting a lawn from scratch is an even more time-consuming, effort-filled, involved procedure.) If your lawn’s grading, soil quality and soil density generally are good and your existing lawn is mostly disease- and weed-free, you’re better off saving your lawn and just treating problem areas on a spot basis.

Investigation starts with recognizing the biggest lawn-care headaches: weeds and pest and disease conditions. Once you’ve diagnosed the source of your problems, you can learn how to treat the issue.

The most common lawn problem is weeds – broadleaf plants like plantain and dandelions, crabgrass and annual native grasses (or a combination of all three) – that ruin the lush carpet you desire. There are two separate approaches to weed problems: prevention, which stops weeds from growing in the first place; and treatment, which addresses the weed situation as it arrives.

While weeds are frustrating and troublesome, they’re definitely less serious than turfgrass diseases. The most common and treatable disease problems come from fungal sources. They typically occur as a result of site or care problems. Unfortunately, there are more serious diseases – viral in nature – that can’t be cured. When that’s an issue, lawn replacement is the only solution.