It is important to understand what you are putting on your lawn and what it does. We all want a beautiful lawn that is weed free. We need to be careful, however, when using herbicides.

Many lawn weeds are broad leaf weeds. The herbicide 2,4,D, sold under many brand names, will do a good job of killing them. It is the active ingredient in most weed and feed type products as well as most turf builder products.

There is a catch, however, to this happy picture. Saint Augustine grass is a broad leaf plant. If you put 2,4,D on it, you will kill it deader than a door nail. It happens every year. Someone spreads weed and feed on their lawn, then calls a week or two later complaining that the lawn is yellow. Dead as a doornail, have to re-sod. Don’t let this be you.

Ahhhh.... Springtime. The sun shining outside signifies the end of a long, dreary, closed-in winter. Chirping birds greet you as you open your front door and frolick into your finally-thawed yard... where you freeze and stare in horror at the patches of brown, dead grass slashed across your lawn.

Lots of things kill grass, but if your lawn dies in the spring, there's a good chance you've got grubs.

Grubs are the larvae of several different varieties of beetles such as the Japanese and Masked Chafer. The beetles sow their eggs in the ground in mid-summer, and the grubs hatch in early fall. The invaders then proceed to eat the roots of your lawn and continue munching on the dormant grass all winter long. It's only when the grass tries to reassert itself and grow in the spring that the damage becomes apparent.

If there are brown spots on your lawn, repairing them and preventing them from returning can be an exercise in frustration. Even though all of these spots may look the same, each one may be caused by a different factor – meaning that you probably won’t be able to treat each brown spot in the same way. However, the reasons that these spots develop are fairly predictable. Read on for some of the most common causes – and treatments – for lawn brown spots:

Dog Urine

Unfortunately, many people walk their dogs on the first lawn that they can find. While this isn’t the dog's fault, chemicals in their urine can cause the grass in the affected areas to die off. If you see a dog walker on your lawn, try to find out who they are and politely advise them that they are trespassing on private property and causing damage to your lawn. Let them know that they’ll receive a bill from you as a result of any repairs you need to make. Most accidental offenders will steer clear of your lawn in the future.

If you’ve ever turned your ankle in a gopher hole, you know that these animal pests can be hazardous as well as make your lawn look unsightly. In addition, these rodents can also cause problems beneath the foundation of your home and other structures on your property. Therefore, it’s important to be proactive about managing you rodent-related issues as part of your overall lawn management plan. Read on for more information about dealing with specific animal threats:

Ridding your lawn of gophers

Typically, you can identify the presence of gophers living in the soil beneath your lawn by the large holes that provide access to their burrows. These tend to be open holes that are fairly easy to spot. Unfortunately, spotting a gopher hole doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s inhabited. As burrowing species go, gophers are known for abandoning their burrows, so disturb the ground as little as possible when setting traps. For the most part lethal traps found at any lawn and garden store are the most effective way to rid your lawn of gophers, but be careful that children and pets don’t accidently get caught in the traps.

Even though dandelions are one of the most delightful indicators that spring is finally on its way, they can quickly become unsightly. In a similar way, ragweed, Queen Anne’s lace, and crabgrass can all take their turns dominating your lawn as spring and summer progress. Unfortunately, many people believe that the only way to get rid of weeds and fungal infestations is to use harmful herbicides. Depending on the type of weed you are trying to control, you may not need any chemicals at all!

Lawn Height

In many cases, if you wait for the right time in the weed's life cycle, one good cutting with the lawn mower will eliminate them. For example, if you check with your county extension agency or local lawn and garden center, they should be able to tell you when cutting a weed will prevent it from growing back and developing seeds for the next year.

Controlling rampant weeds can be hard to do, especially if your weeds are the strong and resilient type (think Dandy loins). Once a particular weed as set up shop in your lawn removing it can be a long and trying ordeal, and many people simply give up. This is when you see houses with front lawns that are more weed than lawn- your first reaction might be to frown upon the homeowner for keeping their property in a state of disrepair, but the reality is that they simply might not know what to do.

You're faced with a few decisions when you get an infestation: go buck wild with weed killer and spray the whole lawn; try “natural” techniques for removal; pick them out by hand; or spot spray and pray with the weed killer. Unfortunately there is never a single, universal solution.

Sod Web Worm and MothSod Web Worms, also known as lawn moths, are usually ½ an inch to an inch long. They infest turf grasses in the United States and can be a major problem for any homeowner. These insects are usually dormant during the daytime, but feed on your grass during the night resulting in brown patches in your lawn. Among the grasses where these insects are most prevalently found are bluegrass, bent grass, buffalo grass, and zoysia grass. Sod Web Worms are not a major problem in the wintertime, however, they can be a major problem during the summer if they are allowed to reproduce and continue to feed on your grass.

If you suspect that your lawn may be infested with Sod Web Worms, there are two courses of action that you can take. You could call and exterminator to rid yourself of these insects, or purchase a product at your local home improvement store that is designed to rid your lawn of Sod Web Worms. Calling an exterminator can be quite expensive so I suggest that you do not do so unless your lawns becomes overly infested with Sod Web Worms, or you cannot seem to get rid of these bugs by yourself.

The necrotic ring spot fungus (Leptosphaeria korrae) affects several species of grasses, especially during the cool seasons. To keep a healthy lawn during this kind of weather, you need to recognize and stop this fungus before it damages your entire lawn.Necrotic Ring Spot

The symptoms of the fungus usually appear in late spring or early autumn. The fungus starts out as light green patches ranging from 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter. They can grow to a full meter in diameter and may turn light or reddish brown in color. Streaks, semi-circular, and circular patterns show up in the affected areas of the lawn.

Dandelions are one of the most persistent weeds that gardeners face in their quest for the "perfect lawn". Dandelions are the most common type of weed in the United States and Europe, and they are very hard to deal with, as they do not die once the growing season is over and thus quickly reappear the following spring. They are green broadleaf weeds that eventually produce a yellow flower. This flower then forms a sphere of white seeds as it matures. These seeds are than spread throughout your lawn through wind pollination resulting in multiple patches of dandelions throughout your yard.

Buckthorn originated from Europe and was brought to the United States in the 1800s. It was originally used for hedging, but it was soon found to be an invasive plant. Buckthorn damages your lawn by taking most of the nutrients, water, and sunlight meant for your lawn plants. Once buckthorn grows on your lawn, it forms a strong layer that prevents desirable plants from getting to the things they need in order to survive. Buckthorn is also conducive to the growth of pests such as crown rust fungus and aphids. Because of these reasons, landscapers consider buckthorn to be a threat to a lawn's health.

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) can be identified as having the following features: