Grass Turning Yellow: Attention-Grabbing Ways

Grass-Turning-YellowIf you’re seeing grass turning yellow on your lawn, it’s time to take action! This color change is the result of a process called chlorosis, and it’s a common symptom of soil deficiency. While chlorosis is usually benign, if left untreated, it can lead to other symptoms, like stunted growth and decreased fertility in plants. 

Sometimes people refer to grass as being “yellowing.” This is a result of the plant’s natural process of dying. In this article, we will solve all your problems related to grass turning yellow.

Grass Turning Yellow – The Undeniable Truth

The lawn is a place to play, relax and enjoy the outdoors. But if your lawn turns yellow and starts to look like it’s dying, you may feel like it’s time to panic.

The good news is that grass can dry out or turn brown for several reasons, including too much sun and not enough water. Here are some possible reasons for your grass turning yellow. The most common cause of yellowing grass is a lack of nitrogen. This is usually a result of insufficient fertilizer or the wrong kind of fertilizer. A soil test will tell you how much nitrogen your lawn needs, but in general, if your grass has been fertilized properly and is still yellowing, it’s time to call an expert.

Causes of Yellowing Grass


Yellowing grass can be caused by several factors, including pests, diseases, insects, and even nutrient deficiencies. Here are some of the most common causes of yellowing grass:

  • Soil compaction
  • Overwatering
  • Fertilizer burn
  • Nutrient deficiency
  • Nitrogen deficiency
  • Iron deficiency
  • Poor soil drainage
  • Excessive mowing

Over-fertilization

Over-fertilization

Over-fertilizing your lawn can cause yellowing in the blades of grass. This is because when you apply fertilizer, the nutrients needed by the lawn are released into the soil. These nutrients will then travel through the root system of your grass and be absorbed by the blades and other parts of the plant. If too much fertilizer is applied at once, then more than what was needed will be absorbed by your lawn, causing it to become discolored and develop brown spots on its surface.

Too Much Sunlight

The sun isn’t always your friend when it comes to healthy grass. If your lawn gets too much sunlight, it can turn yellow or brown from stress. This isn’t necessarily a sign that something is wrong with your grass; rather, it’s a signal that you need to protect it from too much exposure by planting shade trees or installing shade cloth over your yard.

Water

Too Much Water: Excess water can cause the soil to become soggy and prevent proper air circulation. This will eventually stunt the growth of your lawn, and it may turn yellow. Always make sure that you don’t over-water your lawn.

Too Little Water: If you don’t give your lawn enough water, it will turn yellow because it doesn’t receive enough nutrients from the soil to produce healthy green blades of grass. One way to tell if your lawn needs more water is by looking at the color of the soil around your grassroots; if it’s brown and dry, you need to give it some water. It’s a good idea to check on the sprinkler system to ensure it’s working properly and watering evenly throughout your yard so that no part gets too much or too little water.

Natural Causes

As the grass grows, it goes through cycles of dormancy. During these periods, the grass becomes dormant and loses its green color. This happens most often in fall and spring when temperatures change quickly. You can expect this color change to last for two to three weeks at a time before new growth begins again.

Poor Soil Drainage

Another reason why grass turns yellow is poor soil drainage. When water doesn’t drain away from the roots as quickly as it should, water will sit at or near the surface of the soil and cause moisture stress on your lawn’s root system.

Nutrient deficiency

If you’ve been over-feeding your lawn with nutrients, it will turn yellow as it tries to balance itself by shedding some of its leaves. This is especially true when the grass needs to conserve water in hot weather.

Disease or insect infestation

Suppose you have an insect problem or a condition on your lawn that’s causing it to turn yellow. In that case, the problem may be more serious than just a little stress from transplanting or over-fertilizing — especially if other symptoms such as brown patches or mushrooms pop up in your yard.

Pests Cause Grass to Turn Yellow

Pests Cause Grass to Turn Yellow

Here are some of the most common pests that may cause your grass to turn yellow:

Aphids: These little bugs often congregate on the undersides of leaves and suck sap from plants. The honeydew attracts ants, which protect the aphids from predators by killing any insect that tries to eat them. 

Grubs: Grubs are white larvae that feed on roots, causing yellowing due to root damage. The best way to find grubs is by digging up turf where you see discoloration or dying patches of grass.

Grasshoppers: Grasshoppers are the most common pest in the Midwest, causing more damage to lawns than any other insect.

Ants: Ants are attracted to yards that have been fertilized or watered recently. They feed on soil nutrients and can cause problems by bringing disease spores into your yard — such as black spot fungus on roses — and leaving unwanted chemicals in your garden beds after they die off during the winter months.

Slugs and snails: These creatures may be found crawling across walkways, around plants, and even on walls of homes during mild weather conditions.

Drought stress: Many times, this will be the primary cause of turfgrass turning yellow. This can be caused by lack of rainfall or over-irrigation (watering too much).

Animal urine or feces are applied to the lawn. This causes an excess of nitrogen in the soil, which causes excessive green growth and poor color development.

Lawn dormancy: This is best described as a period when the lawn goes to sleep due to a lack of light, low temperatures, and short days during the winter months. Turf needs these conditions to go dormant so it can regrow in spring after winter dormancy has ended.

FAQs

Why is my grass turning yellow?

The most common reason is a lack of nitrogen in your lawn.

What causes grass to turn yellow?

A lack of nitrogen in the soil can cause the grass to turn yellow. This can be caused by several things, including poor drainage, over-fertilization or overwatering.

My grass is turning yellow; what should I do?

If your grass is turning yellow, it can mean several things are wrong with it. In the past, you may have over-watered or under-watered it, or you may have a disease or pest problem in your soil or plants.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed reading the causes of yellow grass. It is advisable to keep an eye on the lawn and ensure it does not suffer from any disease or pest attack. For more information, you can check our articles on how to care for your lawn healthily.

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