During summer, your lawn can quickly sizzle, making your lush green turfgrass into crispy brown shades. You may also have observed that they become patchy and straw-like during winter. Many homeowners believe that brown turf means dead. But the good news is that your turfgrass may only be in the state of dormancy.
So, can you save a dying lawn? In general, yes. It depends on some circumstances, such as the cause of the browning in the first place.
Drought is the main reason for dying grass. If your lawn is totally dead because of drought, you may need to start looking for growers in your area to replace your turf. Visit this page to learn more about turf varieties suitable for your location.
What Are Dormant Grasses?
Grasses “shut down” and turn brown to conserve water and nutrients during the colder months. Grasses go dormant in dry and hot weather conditions because they’re stressed out by drought and intense heat. Turf can safely go dormant for three to four weeks without dying, though extreme drought will kill them over time.
Brown turf is aesthetically unpleasant, but it will green up once conditions improve. Aside from the weather, note that there are other reasons for lawn browning, such as excessive nitrogen, insects, cultural practices, lawn diseases, pet spots, fungus, and poor soil conditions.
If you have pets at home that love hanging out on your lawn, make sure to understand how to prevent urine spots on your lawn.
How to Rescue Dying Lawn
It doesn’t need a lawn expert to salvage a dying lawn. Carrying out some simple tips and tricks can do the job.
1. Apply Fungicide
While most lawns recover without chemicals, you may need to combat brown patches with fungicides. Depending on the fungicide, you may start noticing improvements in as early as 24 hours.
2. Eliminate Excessive Thatch
Learning how to dethatch your lawn is important, so you don’t need to hire someone to do so.
Thatching is when some decomposing plant materials create a layer of buildup across your soil’s surface. A Thatch thicker than a half-inch can negatively impact the movement of nutrients, air, and water. Also, excessive thatch prevents roots from developing correctly, causing disease and insect issues.
Get rid of any excess thatch using a power rake or vertical mower. Comb through the grass in a back and forth motion with enough pressure to reach the bottom layer of thatch and penetrate the soil slightly.
3. Water Your Lawn Properly
Make sure to water your lawn correctly since excessive moisture can lead to brown patches. 10 a.m. or between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the ideal times so that the grass dries out fully before nightfall. If you let your grass remain wet all night, it can become more susceptible to pests and disease.
4. Aerate Your Lawn
Since timing is the key, aerate your lawn in late spring and early autumn using a solid and long-handled fork. Lawns can become compacted through various weather conditions that restrict the absorption of water, air, and nutrients at the root level.
Dig the fork down into the lawn and create small holes. Leave at least a set of holes every two feet or until the entire lawn is aerated. This will stimulate new growth, improve water drainage, and de-compact your lawn below surface level.
5. Mowing Can Grow Your Grass Thicker
When the cold winter is almost over, and your grass seedlings are established and dry, start mowing at least once in two weeks in spring. In summer, mow your lawn once a week to encourage full and thick regrowth.
6. Stay off Your Lawn During Drought
Avoid foot traffic and lawn equipment on your lawn, especially during drought. The weight of these activities can compact the soil, which makes it more difficult for the lawn to absorb moisture.
7. Leave Grass Clippings on the Lawn
Grass clippings can give much-needed moisture. After mowing, leave these clippings but don’t let them get too thick or clump together in mats because they may suffocate the lawn.