# I may have solved the mystery of the bare patch of lawn **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 6, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470 "2014-04-06T14:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/21 "2014-04-08T16:06:09Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Lime. Sprinkle the areas with lime (not the fruit, the garden stuff). Snow is gone here, so pretty soon I’ll go on my annual lime parade around the yard - then I touch up all summer when I mow. > > If you are really anal, you can follow your dog around and dilute with the hose right after he pees. Really! How much, I’d be worried about throwing down too much and having the same results from the opposite problem… ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/22 "2014-04-09T16:14:37Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > You’ve got a good story. Spots where the grass won’t grow in my yard just have rocks buried right below the surface. Somewhat inspired by this thread, I went out in the front yard after work last night and started digging up the bare patch where our lawn dies every summer. About eight inches down, I’ve got what appears to be a chunk of concrete about three feet in diameter! Now the mystery is solved, but how the hell am I going to remove a chunk of concrete that size? ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/23 "2014-04-09T16:58:56Z")
Explosives? A good sized charge of black powder and a long fuse… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/24 "2014-04-09T18:32:56Z")
Is it an old septic tank? Old highway pavement? Smooth, rough? Don’t leave us buried… er … hanging. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/25 "2014-04-09T19:28:35Z")
I’ve got a round patch in my back yard where we can’t get grass to grow. I’ve sometimes fantasized that if I dug there, I’d find Jimmy Hoffa’s bones stuffed into an oil drum. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/26 "2014-04-09T19:42:08Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Really! How much, I’d be worried about throwing down too much and having the same results from the opposite problem… Not much, I run around with a bucket and sprinkle using an old measuring cup - maybe a quarter cup per brown spot. I’ve never burnt out the grass with lime - and if it doesn’t green up, I hit it again when I clean up after mowing. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/27 "2014-04-09T19:47:41Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Somewhat inspired by this thread, I went out in the front yard after work last night and started digging up the bare patch where our lawn dies every summer. > > About eight inches down, I’ve got what appears to be a chunk of concrete about three feet in diameter! Now the mystery is solved, but how the hell am I going to remove a chunk of concrete that size? Why would that cause your grass to die? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/28 "2014-04-09T19:51:03Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > About eight inches down, I’ve got what appears to be a chunk of concrete about three feet in diameter! Now the mystery is solved, but how the hell am I going to remove a chunk of concrete that size? A come-along and a solid place to anchor it? I pulled a concrete TV antenna base about 3’ x 3’ x 3’ out of the ground that way when I was a kid. The trick will be in attaching and anchoring the come-along securely (and, of course, disposing of the mass of concrete once you’ve got it out). You’ll have to dig out around it to expose the sides to see if there’s a good way to hook onto it. Make sure whatever equipment you use is rated for that much weight–concrete runs about 150 lbs/cubic foot, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/29 "2014-04-11T13:12:39Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Is it an old septic tank? Old highway pavement? Smooth, rough? > > Don’t leave us buried… er … hanging. My guess is that it was leftover concrete from when they poured the foundation for the house. They probably just dumped it there instead of disposing of it properly, then covered it with topsoil. In the years that we’ve been living in this house, we’ve discovered lots of interesting ways our builder cut corners or generally just did a half-assed job. > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Why would that cause your grass to die? Not sure. But it can’t be just coincidence that there’s a giant chunk of concrete right under where we can’t get grass to grow. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/30 "2014-04-11T13:22:33Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Why would that cause your grass to die? > [@Shoeless](#): > > Not sure. But it can’t be just coincidence that there’s a giant chunk of concrete right under where we can’t get grass to grow. Cement is pretty caustic. If it’s starting to deterioriate and leach upwards, it would kill the grass. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/31 "2014-04-11T14:37:16Z")
How does one dispose of a large amount of concrete about to set up? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470/32 "2014-04-11T14:43:32Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Somewhat inspired by this thread, I went out in the front yard after work last night and started digging up the bare patch where our lawn dies every summer. > > About eight inches down, I’ve got what appears to be a chunk of concrete about three feet in diameter! Now the mystery is solved, but how the hell am I going to remove a chunk of concrete that size? could be a septic tank or cistern. if so you may have more than one in your yard. you might have to dig the whole thing out and fill it in if you mess with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-the-bare-patch-of-lawn/685470.md?page=1)