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Why Does My Lawn Keep Dying in Texas? (7 Reasons)

If you own a home in Texas, there is a strong likelihood that you are responsible for maintaining a lawn or laying new sod. Whether you have a small lawn area of 1,000 square feet or acres of grass, each square foot will take care and maintenance in order to thrive. Since your lawn is the largest single plant in your landscape, we have outlined for you 7 common reasons why lawns die in Texas.

Uneven Sprinkler Coverage

Most residential lawns are watered by a sprinkler system. Poor sprinkler head coverage can result in a dead lawn. If sprinkler heads aren’t properly spaced and/or properly functioning, your grass may receive too much water in some areas and not enough water in others. In addition to even sprinkler coverage, if your sprinkler heads are not aligned properly, they can also be watering unwanted areas like the sidewalk or flower beds where you may already have irrigation in place. It is crucial that you take the time to observe your sprinkler system and make note of any areas with uneven coverage and improperly aligned sprinkler heads. We recommend you check this at least once each year and have an irrigation company out to perform a routine check and program your sprinkler system control panel.

Compacted Soils

Throughout Texas, we struggle with compacted clay soils in the ground. Clay soils do not absorb water well, leading to ineffective drainage. When watering a lawn planted on top of clay soil, the grass will not get enough water no matter how long you run the irrigation system. Compacted soils also inhibit the deep root growth that is necessary for a healthy lawn. To help relieve compacted soils, you should plan to core aerate your lawn every 1-2 years. Aeration is the process of removing small plugs of soil throughout your lawn to help loosen the soil.

Poor Lawn Grading

Grading refers to the way your lawn slopes and how level the surface is. Poor lawn grading can result in low spots where water pools, causing the grass to die. If your lawn isn’t properly graded to move water away from the structure and off your property, it can result in excess storm water or irrigation water sitting on your grass, resulting in muddy, wet, and eventually dead grass. We suggest carefully observing your lawn after an irrigation cycle or a period of heavy rain. You should make note of any areas where water is pooling as well as any areas that are not drying after a few days. These areas will need to be properly graded, requiring new soil and sod to change the slope of the land, or you can explore the cost of having a landscape drainage system installed to direct excess water away from the low spots in your lawn.

Overwatering

It can be difficult to know if you are giving your lawn the right amount of water. Grass that’s being overwatered will appear more yellowish, and the blades a bit more limp from the weight of trying to hold too much water. Lawns that are being overwatered will also be more likely to develop weeds or fungus due to the excess moisture. We’ve found that many customers who call us looking for solutions to fix their muddy side yards are simply overwatering their lawns. We recommend thoroughly watering your lawn once each week throughout the year and twice each week during the extreme temperatures of summer.

Underwatering

Lawns that are not being watered enough may also perish from a lack of water. In an underwatered lawn, blades of grass will start to appear thin and eventually lose color until brown. Without water to plump up the grass, eventually, without enough water, a lawn will become dry and even crunchy when walking on it. If a lawn has died due to underwatering, you may also notice cracks in the underlying soil.

Animals

Animals can damage your lawn in several ways and eventually kill it if you don’t remedy the problem quickly by repairing the bare spots in your lawn. Rabbits like to chew on grassy areas where they feel safe, and that can kill your lawn. Since dogs use the restroom outside, they tend to urinate in the same areas of the lawn, and that can damage the grass as well. Typically, you will take notice of damage when you start seeing brown spots of dying grass throughout the yard.

Thatch

Having excess thatch or a buildup of organic matter on your lawn may also cause your grass to die. Thatch can be a combination of leaves, acorns, twigs, or grass clippings. These items collect on your lawn throughout the year and eventually become embedded on the surface, preventing air, water, sunlight, and vital nutrients from entering the soil. It’s best to rake excess thatch 2-3 times per year, especially during the fall when some trees shed their leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Is Killing Your Texas Lawn:

Can grass grow back after dying?

No. Once grass has died, those areas will need to be removed and replaced with a new lawn grass.

Does raking dead grass help?

Yes. Removing areas of dead grass will expose the soil surface to accept air, water, sunlight, and nutrients for grass to grow. Depending on the type of grass you have in your lawn, the healthy grass may slowly spread into the areas that have died.

Why is my grass turning brown even though I water it?

When grass turns brown, it’s often a sign of improper watering. Check your sprinkler coverage and examine the soil in the brown areas to determine if the soil is too dry or too wet.

Why is my grass dying in winter?

Most lawn grasses that we plant in Texas are perennial grasses. Perennial plants go through a period of dormancy in the late fall and winter months. During their dormancy period, the lawn will turn brown. Your lawn should start to green up again in the spring.