Last Updated on February 15, 2026 by Duncan

Checking your lawn regularly can be a quick and easy way to identify signs of stress on your lawn. Identifying difficulties doesn’t have to be difficult.

Lawns are usually fairly good at letting you know when they’re unhappy, but it’s crucial to know which signs indicate which problems your lawn is having.

Are you wondering which are the most common signs of an unhealthy lawn? There are many of them, with the common ones being:

Discoloration

Nobody wants to see their grass turn almost totally yellow or brown.

Discolored patches can be caused by pests like grubs or illnesses like snow mold or red thread, which can cause a lawn to yellow in winter. However, if the problem spreads from patches to the entire lawn, it becomes a bigger issue.

A lawn that is consistently yellow or brown over a large area is usually a sign of drought, and increasing irrigation is a good first step. Most lawns require at least one inch of water per week during the summer to remain healthy.

Yellow grass should recover if you water your lawn regularly during the summer. Water the lawn in the morning or evening, avoiding the hottest times of day, but not at night.

Watering grass in the sun during peak hours limits its ability to absorb rainwater before it evaporates. If you have a sprinkler, leave it on for a few hours during the coolest part of the day to ensure it covers the entire lawn and soaks down to the earth below.

Feeling spongy

If your lawn feels spongy when you walk on it, it may indicate a problem beneath the top layer of grass. It is often a sign of too much thatch, which is a layer of dead plant material between the blades and the soil surface.

A thick thatch layer can block water and air from reaching the grass roots, increasing the risk of disease and harboring pests.

You should dethatch your lawn to remove excess thatch.

You can do this manually on small lawns with a garden rake, but it is laborious. For larger areas, you should rent or buy a dethatching tool or hire a local lawn care professional to do it.

Dethatching a lawn is best done in the spring or fall, as doing so in the summer might put undue stress on the lawn. And you don’t want this.

Overwatering can also cause a spongy lawn, as evidenced by a waterlogged lawn with water accumulating on the grass following heavy rain.

The sponge-like feel is caused by compacted soil beneath the grass level and by water failing to drain correctly, so it pools beneath the grass surface.

Over time, the marshy conditions will produce patchy grass growth, and your magnificent lawn will begin to resemble a mud patch. In such a scenario, aerate the soil with a garden fork to improve drainage.

The presence of grubs in your lawn can also make it feel spongy when you walk on it. Grubs are little white, C-shaped pests that feed on grass roots.

A healthy lawn has a robust root system that helps it endure stresses such as heat, drought, and foot traffic. As grubs eat the roots, the grass weakens and becomes more vulnerable to injury.

If you suspect you have grubs on your lawn, there are a few steps you can take to confirm their presence. First, glance at your yard. Are there any brown patches?

If they are there, grubs are most likely causing the damage. Second, try lifting a portion of turf. If the grass breaks away from the soil, it is another indication of grubs.

To get rid of grubs in your lawn, use a grub control solution to kill them and prevent new ones from emerging.

Lots of weed

Weeds will always appear in a lawn, but if the condition progresses from a few weeds to an entire lawn full of weeds, it may suggest an unhappy or unhealthy lawn. It can be a sign that the grass is struggling and unable to compete with the weeds.

You should prioritize removing the unwanted plants. This is because, if left alone for an extended period, weeds can become problematic. They can eventually overtake the turf if not removed promptly. And you don’t want this, do you?

You should weed your grass throughout the growing season to prevent it from spreading. It’s especially crucial to do this before they flower and fruit, as they’ll scatter their seeds all over the yard.

It is critical that you thoroughly remove the weed’s root system to prevent it from resprouting, and this stand-up weed puller tool on Amazon lets you effortlessly kill weeds without kneeling or bending.

Ongoing maintenance, such as frequent mowing, watering, and feeding, can help your lawn resist weed infestations and minimize the risk of future ones.

Holes in the lawn

There may be holes in the lawn created by animals digging for grubs. Birds, foxes, skunks, raccoons, and moles like digging for soil-dwelling chafer grubs or leatherjackets, causing significant damage in their search for food.

You should consult a lawn care professional in your area to find ways to get rid of the harmful animals.

Thinning grass

Thick, healthy grass is essential for an attractive lawn, and thinning may indicate a problem. Here are four reasons why thinning grass indicates an unhealthy lawn:

Poor soil quality.

If your grass is thinning, it may be due to poor soil quality. Improving lawn quality is the first step toward keeping it healthy. You can accomplish this by incorporating organic materials, such as compost or manure, into your soil.

This improves drainage and aeration while also providing critical nutrients to your lawn. You could also use a top dressing treatment to improve the soil in bald areas.

Improper mowing.

If you find your grass dying, it’s time to review your lawn care regimen. Excessive mowing is one of the primary causes of unhealthy lawns. Mowing too regularly removes more leaf blades than the grass can recover. This causes stress on the grass, leading to bald areas and a general decline in health.

If your grass appears thinner than usual, take a step back and reconsider your mowing schedule. You may be cutting your grass too frequently or at an incorrect height. Both of these variables can lead to thin grass.

Instead of mowing every week, try cutting back slightly. Also, make sure your mower blade is adjusted to the generally recommended height of three inches.

Increased moss and fungi

Similar to an influx of weeds, the presence of a large amount of moss and fungi on a lawn indicates that the overall conditions favor them over the growth of your lawn.

If you observe mushrooms growing in your yard, they are most likely in damp, shady areas with poor drainage, which are ideal conditions for fungi to thrive. Moss thrives in damp, shady environments and is commonly found in overwatered lawns.

To get rid of mushrooms on your lawn, reduce the amount of water you use and aerate it regularly in the spring and fall to enhance drainage.

Dethatching annually will also reduce the fungi’s food source, and you may need to trim overhanging branches to maximize sunlight reaching the lawn.

You can use a moss killer, such as this moss control solution on Amazon, to eliminate moss while feeding your grass for future protection.