• Originally published July 16, 2008 at 4:03 p.m., updated July 16, 2008 at 4:03 p.m.

If you were fortunate enough to have gotten rain the past couple of weeks, your garden is probably looking a little happier. It was so nice having the cloud cover and cooler temperatures. All that seems to be behind us now. Summer has arrived. Today, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and hardly any breeze at all. Yes sir, the hot dog days of summer are here.

As common as the hot temperatures are this time of year so are brown spots in our lawns. Many of these spots can be caused by the heat and drought. But, gardeners also have to be aware that these spots could be caused by insects and diseases.

July through early fall is the time of year when chinch bugs and grub worms are active. These lawn pests can be a real problem. If grubs are causing the problem you will be able to pull up the grass easily because the grubs have chewed off most of the roots. You should also be able to find the ‘C’ shaped grubs in the soil. If the grass is still firmly attached to the roots, the brown spots are probably due to the lack of water and high temperatures.

Another culprit that can cause brown spots in lawns, especially St. Augustine grass, are chinch bugs. These little devils are sucking insects. To find them you can get down on your hands and knees, in an area of green grass, and quickly separate the blades of grass. They will be running around on the soil. Chinch bugs are only one-fifth to one-sixth inch long. The adult chinch bug is black with a distinctive white hour-glass shape on its back. If you find several of these insects running around on the soil, you can feel certain that they are causing some problems.

Lawn diseases are not as common this time of year when the temperature is high and it’s so dry. But occasionally lawns can get a disease if stressed from the drought.

If grubs or chinch bugs seem to be a problem in your lawn one of the easiest, and most effective, solutions is beneficial nemetodes. If the problem is not caused by insects and you’re sure the lawn gets enough water then you may have a disease. If you haven’t fed the lawn recently put out a natural granular fertilizer and top it off with a thin layer of compost. This, along with enough water, should have the lawn looking better.

Here are a few tips to help you keep your lawn in tip-top shape. Increase your mowing height by several inches during the summer months. The longer the blades of grass, the larger the root system, there’s a correlation between the two. The grass will be healthier with a bigger root system.

Your lawn, as all plants, needs oxygen to survive. If the soil it grows in is compacted the root system will not be able to get the oxygen it needs. The more compacted the soil, the more likely water and fertilizer will run off and not be absorbed into the soil. Organic material, with time, will break down the compaction. You could also aerate the lawn. This is a machine you can rent from a rental shop. It pulls out small plugs of soil as you drive it over the lawn.

So, here you have several things to watch for in your lawn. Check for insects, fungal diseases, sufficient water, and compacted soil. It’s important to rule out possible culprits that could cause lawn problems. No amount of water or rain will ever cure an insect attack or a disease problem.

Until next time, let’s try to garden with nature, not against it, and maybe all our weeds will become wildflowers.

Laurie Garretson is a Victoria gardener and nursery owner. Send your gardening questions to laurie@vicad.com or in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77902.

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