We always try to educate our customers on the proper care of their lawns. But we mostly tell them what to do, not what NOT to do. Here’s the short story:
Watering too little
Watering too frequently
Hand-watering the lawn with a hose
Mowing too little
Mowing too short or too high
Mowing with a dull blade
Weed-eating against tree trunks
Killing Bermuda runners and seed heads
Leaving objects on the lawn
Seeding fescue in the spring
Seeding Bermuda
Pulling weeds
Skipping fertilizer during a drought
Using Roundup in your lawn when it’s green
Expecting grass to grow where the dogs run
Scalping or dethatching at the wrong time

And here’s the long story:

Watering too little, too frequently, or hand-watering the lawn.

Your lawn needs 1 1/2″ to 2″ of water per week, year-round. Watering deeply twice per week is MUCH more beneficial than sprinkling it daily. Hand-watering your grass is useless unless you stand out there all day. Read all about proper watering.

Mowing too little, mowing too short or too high, or with a dull blade.

You should mow frequently enough that you mow off only 1/3 of the grass blade each time, and you don’t have to bag the clippings. Mowing off more of the grass blade at once will result in a brown lawn after mowing. Fescue must be mowed much higher than Bermuda, or it will not survive in the summer. Mowing with a dull blade will tear the grass, not cut it, and result in a brown lawn. Read all about proper mowing.

Weed-eating against tree trunks.
Randy Pirtle, OSU County Extension Director, says “One of the leading causes of death to trees in the landscape is what we refer to as weed-eater or lawnmower ‘blight’.” In other words, keep your lawnmower and your weed whacker away from tree trunks! To make this easier, mulch around your trees so you don’t have to get near the trunk. Put down mulch 2-3” thick, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk. Problem solved!
Killing bermuda runners and seed heads.
What? You have no idea how many people think Bermuda runners and Bermuda seed heads are weeds! And they spray them, trying to kill them!! Bermuda is a warm-season grass that spreads by underground rhizomes and above-ground stolons. These are Bermuda stolons (or “runners”):
bermuda_stolons_filling_in_bare_spot
bermuda_seed_head
bermuda_stolons_on_curb
The picture bottom right shows Bermuda seed heads:
Note:
If you are mowing properly, you won’t see the seed heads. If you don’t edge, you will see stolons along the curb, on the driveway & sidewalks, etc. (and, of course, in your flowerbeds!)
Leaving objects on your lawn.
Whether it’s trash cans, or a trampoline or a garden hose, it will kill the grass.
Seeding fescue in the spring, seeding bermuda.
Fescue’s growing season starts in the fall and therefore it should be seeded in the fall. Bermuda spreads, so if it’s mowed, watered, and fertilized properly, you should never have to seed it!
Pulling weeds.
Weed seeds can lie dormant in the soil for 40 years and longer! When you pull a weed, you disturb the dormant seeds, and give them an excuse to germinate. That’s why you always see them in the flowerbeds where you dig all the time! Weed roots also have root hairs, so when you think you got the roots, you didn’t really. (Also, if we can’t see them, we can’t spray them.)
Skipping the fertilizer during a drought.
It seems logical that when your grass is dormant and brown it doesn’t need fertilizer. Couldn’t be farther from the truth! Your grass is stressed when it’s dormant in the summer and needs nourishment – its root system is still active. When the rains come, it will spring back to life so fast you won’t believe it…IF it’s been fertilized.
Using Roundup© in your lawn when it’s green
Roundup© is a great product, but it’s designed to take out anything actively growing. While it will kill weeds, it will also kill your grass. Any product containing glyphosate will do the same. ALWAYS read the label on weed control materials.
Expecting grass to grow where the dogs run.
Won’t happen! Dogs running and lying in the same place day after day will compact your soil until it’s hard as a rock, and nothing will grow there. Same goes for heavy traffic areas or the place under your child’s swing. There are solutions for compaction, but unless you change the circumstances, they won’t help.

Scalping or dethatching too early or too late.
Scalping or dethatching bermuda or zoysia lawns should be done late enough that there is no longer a chance of frost, and early enough that the grass has time to recover before winter, and never when it’s stressed from heat or drought.