I live in Cincinnati Ohio, and my backyard, in the sunny portion
of it, has bare spots that have been gradually growing over the last
years. One of them is about 10 by 20 feet. Areas away from the spots
are growing well. I suspect that some sort of insects are
contributing to the spots because they seem to get bigger every year.
In particular the spots are mostly bare with small clumps of grass
interspersed in between the bare ground. Can someone tell me what I
have and how to fix it. Thanks,

JD

On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:10:48 -0700 (PDT), JD
wrote:

I live in Cincinnati Ohio, and my backyard, in the sunny portion
of it, has bare spots that have been gradually growing over the last
years. One of them is about 10 by 20 feet. Areas away from the spots
are growing well. I suspect that some sort of insects are
contributing to the spots because they seem to get bigger every year.
In particular the spots are mostly bare with small clumps of grass
interspersed in between the bare ground. Can someone tell me what I
have and how to fix it. Thanks,

JD


Can't say for sure, but I suspect grubs are eating the roots. Dig up
a square foot area 4" deep at the edge and sift through the sod. Your
selected area should be half bare ground, half grass. It is okay to
have one grub per square foot, but any more than that you have a lawn
problem. There are a few effective methods to eradicate/control
grubs. Bare sunny areas in the lawn can create another problem: crab
grass. Lawn repair takes patience, especially when neglected for
several years.