Weeds & Pests
Dog Spots or Lawn Fungus? How to Tell the Difference
Round brown patches can be dog urine or disease. The ring test, the tug test and the timing that tell you which, and how to fix each one.
Weeds & Pests
11 articles
Weeds & Pests
Fungicide on a Home Lawn Is Usually the Wrong Fix
Golf courses spray fungicide on greens. Most home lawns don't need it. When a fungicide makes sense, when it's a waste of money, and what fixes the problem instead.
Weeds & Pests
Gray Snow Mold and Pink Snow Mold Are Not the Same Patch
Two different fungi, two different winters. How to tell gray from pink snow mold, why pink can show up with no snow at all, and what each means for your lawn.
Weeds & Pests
Vole Trails Under the Snow: Prevention Now
When the snow melts, some lawns are covered in winding dead trails. That's voles. Why they do it, how to cut down the damage this fall, and how to fix the trails…
Weeds & Pests
Fall Grub Damage: Skunks, Raccoons, and What to Do Now
Torn-up turf in fall usually means animals digging for white grubs. How to confirm grubs, why curative treatments now are limited, and how to repair and prevent it next year.
Weeds & Pests
Fall Broadleaf Weed Control: Why October Beats Spring
Dandelions, clover and creeping Charlie are easiest to kill in fall, when they're pulling food down to their roots. Timing, temperatures, and how to do it safely.
Weeds & Pests
Snow Mold Prevention and Spring Recovery for Northern Lawns
Every spring I get calls about mysterious dead patches that appear the moment the snow melts. Across most of the cool-season belt, pink snow mold (Microdochium nivale) is the common one. Gray…
Weeds & Pests
Pre-Emergent Herbicide Timing Guide for Northern Lawns (Crabgrass & More)
The most common mistake I see is applying pre-emergent too early or too late. Calendar dates are useless — soil temperature is what matters. Common active ingredients that perform well in our…
Weeds & Pests
Nutsedge Control in Northern Lawns: Why It’s Different from Other Weeds
Nutsedge (often called nutgrass) looks like grass but is actually a sedge. Most “weed and feed” products and standard broadleaf herbicides do almost nothing to it. It spreads by underground tubers (nuts)…
Weeds & Pests
Complete Visual Guide to Identifying Common Northern Lawn Weeds
The earlier you identify a weed, the easier and cheaper it is to control. This guide covers the most common culprits in northern cool-season lawns, with notes on when cultural practices alone…
Weeds & Pests
Brown Patch in Cool-Season Lawns: Diagnosis, Cultural Controls & Treatment
Brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani) is one of the most common and frustrating diseases in cool-season lawns, especially during July and August heat waves with high humidity. Cultural practices fix 80% of cases.…