How to Know if You Have Dormant or Dead Grass in Summer
Is your lawn looking more brown than green this summer? If the answer is yes, there is no need to panic. It may be that your lawn is protecting itself during a heatwave, and it will spring back into life when the temperatures drop and it gets some water.
Lawns often lose their vibrancy in summer to protect themselves from extreme heat and drought stress. It is a life-preserving tactic; the top growth turns brown, but the roots stay alive. Once things return to normal, it will send out fresh green leaves.
However, there are scenarios where a brown lawn indicates dying or dead grass. If you worry about lawn care, any sight of brown grass in summer will be a cause for concern. To help homeowners spot the difference between dormant or dead grass, experts reveal the tell-tale signs to look for.
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Is My Grass Dormant or Dead?
A brown lawn in summer is often a perfectly normal sight. Many gardeners may quake in fear at their thick, green lawn turning brown, but it doesn’t need to be a cause for concern. Whether you should panic or not depends on whether you are looking at dormant or dead grass.
During a heatwave, lawns naturally enter dormancy to protect themselves against the stress of heat and drought. Chris McIlroy, lawn expert at The Grass People, says it may look ‘dramatic’ but it doesn’t necessarily mean your lawn is dead. He adds: ‘The roots can still be alive and well underneath, and your lawn is just focusing its energy on protecting this area.’
So, how can you tell the difference between dormant or dead grass? It can come down to the texture and feel of the blades.
Jason McCausland, Technical Coordinator at Weed Man, explains that a dormant lawn will look ‘straw-like’ and have large areas in a tan or light brown color.
‘The grass blades are dry-looking but remain attached to the plant, and the lawn often has an even appearance rather than scattered patches,’ says the experienced turf expert. ‘If you tug at the grass, it will generally not pull out very easily, which indicates the roots are still intact. Cooler temperatures and irrigation will help bring the lawn back to life.’
If you pull the grass, as Jason mentioned above, and it pulls out of the ground easily, this is a sign the lawn may be dying or dead, rather than just dormant. It is more worrying and can be accompanied by other typical symptoms.
‘A dead lawn will have a grayish-brown or bleached appearance rather than straw-colored,’ describes Jason. ‘It will feel brittle and crumble easily, and it will look patchy.’
Chris McIlroy adds a few other symptoms to look for during summer. ‘Any signs of fungal growth such as mold or a pinkish tinge, and mushy waterlogged soil are signs your lawn could be dying.’
A red or pinkish tinge to a lawn could indicate red thread disease, a common fungal issue that often strikes during periods of high humidity or when lawns are stressed in summer. If you suspect red thread, use a fungus control for lawns product like this one on Amazon that offers one month of disease protection.
Chris McIlroy is the technical product lead and in-house lawn seed expert for The Grass People – a grass seed company that champions high-quality lawn products and shares expert advice. Chris’s expertise is focused on sowing, mowing and maintaining a perfect lawn, and how to overcome any lawn issues homeowners face.
Jason is a Technical Coordinator at Weed Man. For more than 25 years, he has been an integral member of the Weed Man family and the green industry.
How to Help a Dormant Lawn Recover
If your lawn is simply conserving energy in summer, it is time to think about reviving dormant grass.
The simplest solution is regular watering (you can use a pulsating spike lawn sprinkler like this on Walmart that attaches to any standard hose) and not mowing the lawn too short during a heatwave, as longer grass shades the soil and helps to conserve moisture.
‘The best way to help your brown lawn recover is to water it deeply once or twice a week,’ advises Angelika Zaber, a lawn care specialist working for Online Turf. ‘This should be done in the morning so that the sun is not overhead and the moisture has enough time to soak into the soil.’
There is no need for alarm, though, and sometimes doing nothing works too. In a heatwave, when plants all round the garden will be struggling, it is up to you where the lawn ranks in your list of priorities.
Jonathan Davis, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, reassures: ‘Lawns can be resilient, and even if they turn brown, the green, vibrant appearance can come back when normal weather returns.
‘It’s easy to panic and overdo it with lawn treatments when you spot browning, but really it’s best to leave them alone. Avoid fertilizing, aerating and mowing and be careful about overwatering, as this could stress the lawn more.’
Overwatering is a classic lawn watering mistake that homeowners may make at the sight of brown grass. It can wash nutrients from the soil and cause shallow roots, which are more susceptible to drought. Also, never water the lawn at night, as it increases the risk of fungal diseases.
Angelika Zaber is a Lawn Care Specialist working for Online Turf. She is dedicated to providing exceptional lawn care expertise and horticultural advice that encourages both novice and experienced gardeners to have healthy, vibrant lawns all year round.
Shop Lawn Watering Essentials
Oscillating Lawn Sprinkler
A lawn sprinkler with 16 nozzles for watering lawns and gardens up to 3,600 sq. ft. The watering range is adjustable and the sprinkler has a weighted base for stability.
An easy-to-use timer with a single dial to set the watering time, duration, and regularity. It is battery-operated and can be set from every 6 hours to every 7 days.
Mixed Sun or Shade Grass Seed
A 5.6 lb. bag of Scotts Turf Builder Rapid Grass Sun & Shade Mix that can be used to overseed bare patches of lawn in spring or fall. It is a mix of grass seed and fertilizer.
When cutting grass in hot weather, it can be good to leave the clippings. If you leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing, they return nutrients to the soil and act as a natural mulch, shading the soil and reducing evaporation.
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