# Same spot in lawn goes brown every year.



## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

This is my 4th mowing season in my house and this spot has always seemed to brown up. It is about 2 feet away from curb and 2 feet from storm drain. Any ideas why? Something sub surface causing the issue?


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## SullyCT79 (May 14, 2018)

I'm guessing you're right and it's something sub surface. Have you tried sticking a soil probe or something long in that spot?


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

No I haven't


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Get a shovel and check for something down there.


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## bassadict69 (Apr 2, 2018)

Get a long screwdriver and start stabbing...


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

Proximity to curb and storm drain has me thinking salt damage, low (or high) spot in lawn, or different type of grass. It has to be something environmental like even a reflection of the sun off a window hitting that spot.

If you are sure the grass is the same as surrounding species, I might hit it with some gypsum to leach out salt from curb or storm drain. I would check soil level to make sure there is no puddling from low spot or drying out from high spot.

If it were grubs or something living underground, I would imagine it would have spread after four years' worth of the same condition. Same thing with a virus or fungus... it should have spread by now.

Murph


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Elevation is even with the rest of the lawn. I guess I'll poke the soil. I really dont want to test it up right now though.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

outdoorsmen said:


> Elevation is even with the rest of the lawn. I guess I'll poke the soil. I really dont want to test it up right now though.


Yeah... it has to be something specific to that location. I can't imagine a pest or pathogen staying confined to that one area for four years.

And you're sure it's not a different kind of grass, right? Is there any runoff from the curb or sewer hitting that area?

B


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

So close to the curb and storm drain, I'd bet a dollar or two that there's construction debris under there - broken up concrete/asphalt/gravel.


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## mmacejko (Jun 9, 2017)

I had a similar issue a year ago. Started poking around and couldn't get past 2". Started digging and ended up with four 5 gallon buckets of crushed limestone and pieces of concrete. Probably from when we built the house...


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Keep an eye out for wires and stuff if you dig. Technically you should be able to get away without 811 if you're careful and take it slow. But hopefully you won't have to go too deep. If you do find large stuff, you can always then call to have utilities marked before you dig deeply to remove it.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

Green said:


> Keep an eye out for wires and stuff if you dig. Technically you should be able to get away without 811 if you're careful and take it slow. But hopefully you won't have to go too deep. If you do find large stuff, you can always then call to have utilities marked before you dig deeply to remove it.


That's a good point!

I have a wire that runs under my main vegetable garden that grows along the south side of the garage. The wire supplies electricity to the garage. I'm always worried sick over that stupid wire.

B


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## Pamboys09 (Apr 16, 2019)

i have these issue before i found out that theres not enough water going on the brown spot that i have compare to the other spots.


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Fee more pics of it today. I havent done any poking yet. If I dig I wont do that till fall so I can seed it to get it repaired again.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

That looks like a different flavor of grass. Kill it and seed.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@outdoorsmen you do not need to seed. You cut the grass in a 1ft x 1ft section with the shovel and lift it like sod. If nothing there, then place it back.

The register next to it makes this more interesting. Do call 811.


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## jcs43920 (Jun 3, 2019)

In the fall dig it up put fresh top soil and re seed.


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Update this is how it looks today. Gonna do the repair this fall for sure.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

Every year like that, huh?

Man, that sure looks like run-off... or a leak... especially after looking at your June 15 pictures. It looks like there is a low spot there

What do you think... is it low there?

B


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

This is the worst I've seen it but I havent watered as much as i have in the past. I was hoping to skip activating my irrigation system this year due to all the rain we have had. But it is dry now. Dont know if I can justify it being this late in year. I think I'll just drag the sprinkler around to get me through July and August heat. 
It's not a low spot.
I dont know what you mean by leak. No gas line there.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

outdoorsmen said:


> Update this is how it looks today. Gonna do the repair this fall for sure.


Have you tried poking into the soil there yet with a screwdriver or something similar?

If not, what are you waiting for?

As reported in about a half dozen posts above, some sort of problem in the soil about 2-6 inches down is almost surely the culprit, whether rocks, gravel, construction debris, a hunk of concrete or asphalt, etc., particularly given the proximity to the road and manhole cover.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@outdoorsmen I really think you have rocks there.

I have some spots that are not looking good. I did the screwdriver test, then a shovel and found this:










Rocks.


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

I have not poked yet. Been busy with vacation. So if I dig it out what would you reccomend to fill the hole with? I dont know if I trust the cheap bags of top soil from lowes, they have alot of wood chips and junk in them. Just watched a video from Pete at GCI and he used black kow compost from lowes to fill holes he made when he cut out poi.


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Well just tried some poking and in some spots I cant hardly get 2" of penetration (story of my life...)


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

I've fixed several spots like that in my yard, it always turned out to be a big flat rock 5 - 6" under the ground. Get a long screwdriver (12"+) and start poking.


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## Kissfromnick (Mar 25, 2019)

I have something similar 1 spot drying every season. I know for sure it's a big tree stump which never was grinder correctly


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