April 23, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 27 Lawn restoration: How to repair dead grass A patch of dead grass on an otherwise lush lawn can be a frustrating eyesore for homeowners. Whether lawn care is a pas- sion or just something done to maintain the value of your home, dead grass can be exasperating. As unsightly as dead grass can be, addressing it and restoring the dead patches can be somewhat simple. Before restoring the grass, however, the source of the problem must first be identified. Grass often dies because of urine damage, which is typically characterized by a dead spot surrounded by otherwise green grass. Grub infestation might be at fault when dead grass appears, and such an infesta- tion often produces patches of light brown grass that are scattered throughout the lawn. It is also possible that dead grass is a result of human error. If the lawn was over- fertilized, patches of gray-green grass may appear. Fungal disease is another common culprit behind dead grass, and such dis- ease can manifest itself in different ways. Determining why the grass is dead may require the help of a professional, but once the cause is clear, it is time to begin treat- ing the lawn. Urine damage: Urine damage is often limited to a particular area of the grass used by the family pet. Once a particular patch of grass has worn down, the pet may move on to another spot, but if you quickly notice a dead spot due to urine damage, train the animal to urinate elsewhere, lim- iting the damage it causes. When repair- ing the grass, dig a hole that is roughly four inches deep and fill it with fresh soil until it is level with the soil surrounding the dead patch. Then sprinkle seed on top of the freshly laid soil and water the spot. Grass should grow in and stay green so long as there is no further urine damage. Insect damage: Addressing dead spots caused by insect damage can be a little more complicated, and some homeowners may prefer to hire a professional. If you want to handle the problem on your own, apply pesticide to the affected areas so the insects behind the problem are killed. Once the insects are no more, cut the grass, raking the affected area to remove the dead grass and any additional debris. Scatter grass seed over the affected areas and then apply an appropriate fertilizer and water immediately. Professionals will know just the right fertilizer to use, so consider seek- ing professional advice about addressing your particular problem. Fertilizer damage: Fertilizer damage can also prove difficult to address, as applying fresh seeds too soon can kill any freshly growing seedlings. So grass that has been damaged by over-fertilization must first be allowed to fully die. Once that has happened, the grass can be cut and any remaining debris or dead grass can be removed. Seed can then be scattered, and you can even add some additional soil before laying down an appropriate amount of fertilizer and watering the lawn imme- diately. If you do not trust yourself to use fertilizer correctly, hire a professional to do the job for you. This will cost a little more, but you likely will not wake up to more dead patches of grass down the road. Dead grass can be unsightly and turn an otherwise lush lawn into a patchy eye- sore. But addressing dead grass can be easy and can quickly restore a lawn to its green grandeur.