Question
Hi Jim,

I just purchased a home and I am wondering why is my grass turning brown and what can I do about it.  The type of grass I am suppose to have is Bermuda sodded grass and it likes to be short and watered alot.  

Any advice or suggestions that you can provide to me will be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hi Angela,

>>"...lawn is turning brown...?"

Many natural and man-made conditions can cause the lawn appearance problem you describe.
A list of the more common possible causes to investigate is given below here.

Without a visible inspection of your lawn please realize the limitations here in providing a precise diagnosis and specifics for your situation.
Thank You for the information you have provided so far.
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Be sure you are trying to grow a proper turf-grass for your location and climate.  At this time of year, as is often the case, efforts to use a 'cool-climate' grass type (such as Fescue, Rye or Blue-grass) in a warm climate can present the appearance problems you describe.
Many Grasses rated for Horticultural Plant Hardiness zones 1-6 will weaken and appear sickly or blanch and die once day temperatures rise above 85 degrees F.

Only Use plants and grasses rated for your climate-zone.
HORT ZONES from ZIP CODES:
http://www.arborday.org/trees/whatzone.html
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The main cause of any grass-type appearance problems this time of year is, of course, drought/heat and related hydration problems.  

Different species of turf-grasses respond to dry/hot conditions in different ways and soil physics and drainage can have much to do with how the turf can survive the heat.

Working to have a more moisture retentive top-soil and root-zone is the key to keeping a lush green lawn during hot/dry conditions. Adding better top-soils and compost can solve this problem.

Other Possible Causes:
[1]
Regular 'clock-work' timed watering can cause a weak rooting system in lawn grasses.  With this, the lawn is not able to survive the heat so well and dead or weak areas may result.  It is better to water with periodic (usually weekly will suffice) deep soakings and to avoid regular clock-worked timed watering; this should encourage a deeper rooting system that will be better able to survive the dry-spells.  So, avoid frequent regular watering and work to have weekly deep-soaking watering events.  Usually 1-3 inches of water should be enough, but much depends upon the soil physics and drainage.  A well hydrated stand of turf should 'bounce-back' when compressed by foot traffic.  If not, water, water, water.

Add top-dressings of humus rich potting soils and/or composts to the 'Hot-Spots' in summer lawns to eventually make these areas better able to retain moisture.

Be sure you have ruled-out the weather and drainage problems as a cause; otherwise,...

Lawn grasses, like most every natural thing, can be subject to various diseases and pests attacks....
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[2] Insect Damage:
Take a closer look at the grass plants to see if or not there are insect pests feeding on the vegetation.

Both grass-hoppers (rare in urban lawns, but common in rural areas), and 'leaf-hoppers' can cause turf-grass appearance problems.  If you see these bugs arise from the lawn when you walk over it, then they are likely causing at least part of the problem. A broad-spectrum herbicide such as Carbaryl (aka Methyl-carbamate or 'Sevin') or similar may be indicated to keep sap-sucking bugs under control.  You should also up-root or dig a plug of the turf-grass to examine the roots for insect pests which can kill lawns from below. There are pesticides available for all of these types of insect problems.  One or more treatments may be necessary if insect pests are laying eggs to hatch in cycles.

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[3] Fungus Damage:
Similarly,
Your lawn appearance problem could implicate bacterial, viral, and/or fungal infections.  Of these mainly FUNGAL DISEASES are common and treatable with turf-grasses.  A closer of infected foliage can almost always diagnose a fungus disease of turf grass. Look for streaks, spots and unusual coloration and fungal colonies on the grass blades to diagnose a fungus problem.

Turf grass FUNGUS outbreaks are relatively common and often fast spreading.
Work fast to avoid losing large areas infected with the phytopathogen.

Visit this website and link to "Lawns" for IMAGES of many turf grass diseases and their diagnosis:

http://plantpathology.tamu.edu/Texlab/index.htm

BROWN-PATCH DISEASE Website: http://plantpath.unl.edu/peartree/homer/disease.skp/Hort/Turf/Tubrnpt.html

Another common FUNGAL DISEASE of grasses in mid-late summer is 'Dollar Spot':
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC2152.htm

Your local lawn and garden center will also usually have treatments for fungal problems.

Note, here again, that these microbial fungi problems are usually caused by too much watering.  With dryer and more well aerated conditions and better drainage, fungal diseases are rare with grasses.
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[4] Animal causes:
In more rural areas, there may be rodent and animal damage to the turf-grasses from both above the ground and below;... Gophers, mice and voles and moles and also transient grazing animals such as deer can feed on turf-grasses leaving damaged areas that may die.  Traps, repellant chemicals, scare-tactics and poison baits can control some of these pests.
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Dogs and other animals in the neighborhood could be urinating on the lawn.
This will usually cause a yellow patch of turf-grass (with Bermuda grass) or eventually kill it. The damaged areas may be several inches in diameter and more or less circular.  These problems can be caused by nocturnal wandering dogs and other wild animals too.  There is no cure for urine spotting or fatal blanching in lawns but time and watering can restore damaged areas or you can re-seed or sod.  Ways and means to keep the animals away from lawn areas are the best you can do with marauding animals urinating on the lawn.
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[5] Other causes:
Sometimes part of a lot or lawn may be established over old slabs of concrete or land-fill material. There may also be natural rock formations below. During dry times these areas will become extra dry compared to the the rest of the lawn no matter how much you uniformly water the areas.   This is another possibility to consider.  Driving a steel rod into the center of a problem area to find a hard-bottom hit is one way to determine if there is buried slabs or similar obstructions. Commercial geologic engineering companies can also locate these lot problems.  Trying to get the soil to be more moisture retentive may be the least expensive remedy for these types of causes.

Excessive fertilizer in an  area or chemical spills may also cause the problems you describe.
Time and watering can remedy these scenarios. If the toxic effects are considerable, you may need to excavate away the bad soil and replace it with new.

More detailed information relating to the lawn-appearance problem you describe can be found at the "Lawnology" web-site (see link below).
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With a good fertile-loamy well draining top-soil, best quality hybrid grass type(s), 1-3 inches of water per week, plenty of sun-light, ...almost anyone can have an excellent lawn with a minimum maintenance effort.
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I Hope this has answered your question(s)!

Visit my Lawn & Gardens webpage for more Lawn and Garden Tips, Facts and Links:
http://hometown.aol.com/eilatlog/lawnol.html

Your Questions and Comments are welcome at ALLEXPERTS.com

___ Jim Gibbs,
    Microbiologist/Botanist
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