Dormant Grass vs. Dead Grass
The first step to caring for a dead lawn is to ensure that the grass is not dormant. Your lawn will go dormant as a way to preserve itself due to limited resources like nutrients. During dormancy, the grass will focus on maintaining its roots rather than the top layer. Your lawn will typically go dormant in the cool season like fall.
To figure out whether your lawn is dormant or not, take a look at the crowns of the grass. The crowns are where the plant pushes through the soil and grows. If the crown is still whitish colour, then your grass is still alive, just dormant.
Another way to test whether your turf is alive is to pull at the grass. If the grass easily comes out of the ground, it is likely dead. If the roots of the grass hold fast to the soil, your lawn is likely dormant and could be revived.
How To Revive Dead Grass
- Mow and rake the dead plant matter so you are left with soil
- Spread seed to start your new lawn. The correct seed should be selected with care; consider your climate and frequency of water. Planting the correct grass seed is critical to beautiful lawns
- Fertilize your lawn with natural or chemical fertilizer
- Create a strict watering schedule for the first several weeks after planting
Lawn Care Tips
Mowing
You are encouraged to mow your lawn in the early spring before it starts to grow again. Before mowing, set your lawnmower to 3 inches. This sill ensure your lawn is not scalped and that healthy, green turf can grow. Rather than bagging your grass clippings, leave them on your lawn to serve as a natural fertilizer and keep your lawn healthy.
Reduce the frequency of mowing when your grass is looking brown or there is a dry week during the summer. You don’t want to overdo it and harm your lawn!
Fertilize To Encourage Growth
Water or Irrigate Your Lawn During A Drought
If you are experiencing a drought, don’t fear – a healthy lawn can go approximately three weeks without water. After several weeks of drought, it may be time to consider irrigation for old and new grass alike.
Water your lawn with about one inch of water to soak deep into the root of your turf and revive your lawn. This should be done about once a week to a dying or drought-inflicted lawn to give it life again.
Get Rid of Weeds
Aerate and Dethatch
A brown lawn could be caused by condensed grass roots or thatch. Thatch is a troublesome combination of roots and soil that make it difficult for fertilizer, water, and other nutrients to reach the inches of your lawn that rest under the soil. Grass quickly turns brown when the thatch builds up.
Aeration removes the core of your soil in small cylinders whereas thatching (like raking) removes plant matter. Lawns should be dethatched or aerated at the beginning of the spring or early fall to help your grass grow.
Bring Life Back To Your Lawn
Reviving your dead lawn and making it lush and green again can be a difficult task. Consider your options and, if it doesn’t go to plan, consider getting help from professional lawn care services. Just remember that not all brown grass is dead!
