We asked over 3,000 people what their biggest lawn care challenges were — and one answer came out on top

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Summer is the best time to get out into your garden and enjoy your outside space. It's also one of the hardest times to keep your lawn in top condition, battling with hot weather, dry soil, and all of that extra use.While I've been using 3 drought-proofing steps to protect my lawn during heatwaves, I can't help but notice I'm still struggling with specific issues. And I know I'm not the only one.So, it only felt right to put it to our readers and ask: "What is the biggest problem you have with your lawn?" Over 3,000 of you answered, and here's what came out on top. Even better, I've got tips on how to fix it.The number one lawn problem, according to readers

(Image credit: Shutterstock)There was one resounding answer that came from our poll, far outweighing other issues, and that's bare patches. With a massive 3,079 votes totalling 64% of our readers' answers, it's a patchy lawn that seems to be causing the most bother.To give you an idea of just how dominant this issue is, the second issue was crabgrass that received 625 votes (13%) followed by dog wee stains at 451 votes (9%) and dandelions at 388 votes (8%).And I completely agree, struggling with bare patches myself and trying desperately to make sure my grass looks even across my lawn.Fortunately, there's plenty of solutions to try that we've covered across a range of how-to guides. I'll delve into some of the top tips below and hopefully next time we run a poll, bare patches won't be such a problem.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.How to tackle bare patchesFrom 5-minute quick fixes to step-by-step guides, depending on how much time you've got on your hands, these are the top tips I recommend to try out on that patchy lawn.1. Try overseeding