Common Problems

Most lawn problems can easily be avoided by following the healthy lawn care methods described in this website. Adding grass seed and fertilizer and mowing and watering correctly will result in a lawn that is able to resist most weed and pest problems.

However, problems can still occasionally occur. Checking your lawn regularly is important to notice problems before they spread. Have a look around your yard before mowing to take note of any changes. It's easier to fix weed and pest problems in their early stages.

A lawn is actually a living ecosystem with many interacting parts. Grass species, insects, earthworms, fungi, soil micro-organisms, water, nutrients, and more all depend on one another for proper functioning. Problems occur when an imbalance occurs between these parts. It is important to treat the cause of the imbalance and not the symptom.

Problem	Cause	Solution
Dandelions	Unwanted growth	Hand pull or use a garden tool to remove 80% of root. For best results, remove when soil is moist. Overseed areas with rye grass seed and aerate.
Crabgrass	Close mowing and soil compaction	Raise mowing height and hand pull. Cut high, fertilize, aerate and water. The application of Gypsum can help reduce salinity in curb areas.
Common Plantain	Thin turf cover and low nutrients in soil	Pull by hand. Cut high, fertilize, aerate and dethatch.
Chinch Bug	Drought stress, excessive thatch, poor soil environment	Dethatch and overseed with pest-resistant grasses. When overseeding, check the package label to ensure seeds contain endophytes which improves turf resistance to insects. Over the long term, build strong soil with top dressing and water deeply (at least one inch). Contact a local lawn care company for more information.
White Grub	Weather conditions and general lawn health are important to development of grub problems. Grubs feed on grass roots, which causes patches of grass to wilt and turn brown. As grubs increase in numbers, dead patches can spread across the lawn.	Nematodes (a biological pest control product) can work against most grub species when applied correctly. You can repair grub damage by raking the area, applying compost or topsoil and them re-seeding.
European Crane Fly	The larvae (known as leatherjackets) feed primarily on turf on home lawns, golf courses and sometimes pasture grasses. They feed during the day at or below the surface of the turf on root hairs, roots and crowns. On damp warm nights, they migrate to the surface of the turf and eat stems and grass blades). Damage to turf in Ontario occurs during the month of May.	It is important to note that your grass can withstand a high number of leatherjackets (up to 30 per square foot) before action should be taken. There are several cultural methods to controlling leatherjackets: Keep the lawn healthy and well watered in the spring Ensure your lawn has good drainage and take action to improve chronic wet areas Avoid watering dry turf in the fall if an infestation is predicted Maintain vigorous turf growth with proper fertilizer levels If an infestation occurs, rake the larvae up at night when they come to the surface to feed and submerge them in soapy water to help alleviate the problems.

Should these efforts prove unsuccessful, contact a licensed lawn care operator or other plant health care expert for advice. In the long term, a natural lawn care program to increase the health and pest resistance of your lawn should accompany any short term treatment option.