Worms
Worm casts may appear in your lawn during autumn and spring. Many people see earthworms as a sign of a good functioning soil and so this is more a nuisance rather than a problem that needs controlling.
Dog Patches
If you allow your bitch (female dog) to ‘spend a penny’ on the lawn it will cause dead patches in the lawn surrounded by a ring of deep green grass which can become an unsightly feature and which will not grow out for some months. If biddable, train her to use an unobtrusive corner of the garden and if you catch her on the lawn, water the affected area copiously.
Builders’ Rubble
With new houses you’ll often find that the builder has dug out a hole in the middle of the garden in which he buries all his rubble and rubbish. Buried debris near the surface will also cause brown patches due to drying out of the topsoil above it. If at all possible make sure when preparing the seedbed that there is no rubbish or rubble near the surface.
Pests
Grasses can be attacked by a number of pests. The main culprits are leatherjackets. The problem is grub of the adult (daddy long legs). It has a long and overlapping life cycle and so control is difficult. Chemical control is possible using ‘clopyrifos’, but this is a specialist job and not generally recommended.
From time to time your lawn may be troubled with other soil pests such as wireworms that can cause problems especially at seeding time or small mammals that seem to pick the most inappropriate place to surface. Although, to many of us, these events are really annoying we may take a little consolation from the fact that, to others, they may be seen as providing diversity and habitat for the other creatures that frequent our gardens!