Lawn problem diagnosis
Why Is My Lawn Brown? Diagnose Common Lawn Problems
A brown or patchy lawn in summer is rarely a lost cause — but the fix depends entirely on the cause. Use these guides to tell drought and dormancy from fungus, grubs, and chinch bugs, then do the right thing for each. Every guide is safety-first: identify before you treat, reach for watering and mowing fixes before chemicals, and defer to the product label.
Dead or dormant?
Tell a stressed-but-alive lawn from one that won't come back.
Diagnose it →Brown patches
Round, spreading, or random — what brown patches are telling you.
Diagnose it →Lawn fungus & disease
Brown patch, dollar spot, and the conditions that cause them.
Diagnose it →Grubs
Spongy turf that lifts like carpet — and how to confirm it.
Diagnose it →Chinch bugs
Spreading brown in the hottest, driest part of the lawn.
Diagnose it →Armyworms
Green to brown in days — the late-summer caterpillar that eats lawns.
Diagnose it →Heat & drought stress
When the whole lawn browns evenly in the heat.
Diagnose it →Most brown lawns aren't dead
The biggest mistake in summer is treating a stressed lawn like a dead one — tearing it up, or dumping fertilizer and chemicals on a problem that just needs water and time. Start by figuring out the cause, fix the watering and mowing first, and reach for a product only once you've confirmed what you're dealing with. When you're ready for a plan that prevents these problems, see the lawn care schedules by grass type.