Dormant Grass vs Dead Grass (2024)

FAQs

Dormant Grass vs Dead Grass? ›

Another way to determine dormant vs. dead grass is to pull on some of the blades. Find an area with brown grass, grab a group of blades with your hand, and pull upward. Dead grass comes out easily, while dormant grass shows resistance because it's still alive at the crown and roots.

Grab a section of grass that's brown and then pull. If the grass comes out quickly and easily, then it's dead. Dormant grass will have some tug because it's still alive and the fibers are still intact, including the cells. However, dead grass is not going to grow back.

Try the Tug Test

Find a section of brown grass, grab some in your hand and pull. If the grass comes out easily with no resistance, it is dead. Dead grass isn't coming back, so you'll need to take steps to regrow your lawn.

Dormancy in your grass will appear the same as if it were dead, creating brown and yellow grass. Dormancy is a protective mechanism that allows cool-season grass to preserve energy and nutrients to survive the summer heat.

Grass enters a dormant stage to conserve its energy and water. It can remain safely in its dormant stage for about 3-4 weeks without dying. Grass can be brought out of summer dormancy with regular watering. Winter Dormancy: Dormant grass in winter occurs when temperatures drop.

The best time to rake dead spots is when your lawn is starting to turn green again around mid-April. This way, you can target areas of your lawn that are actually impacted. Raking right after winter will be less targeted as most of the grass will still be brown, regardless of if it is dead or healthy.

Dormancy is the physiological process that grasses use to protect themselves from heat and drought, Kopp says. This state is characterized by a complete cessation of growth along with brown or dead grass blades. The grass blades are not as much of a concern, however, as the crown of the grass plant.

As a general rule, grass clippings of an inch or less in length can be left on your lawn where they will filter down to the soil surface and decompose quickly. Remove longer clippings because they can shade or smother grass beneath causing lawn damage. Don't throw out bagged grass clippings as yard waste.

If the plants pull out from the ground easily, they're probably dead. If the roots hold fast when pulled, the plants are dormant. You will also see the difference when you start to water or when rain returns as moisture will revive brown grass. However, it will not bring dead grass plants back to life.

Can dormant grass turn green again? ›

If your turf is dormant, watering the grass can bring it back if it is responding to drought, but it could also require nutrients or is simply responding to excessive heat.

"Once the lawn turns brown and goes dormant, we can't tell if a lawn is dying unless we water and wait to see the response," Patton said. "That is why we advise to water once every two weeks with one-half inch of water once the turf goes dormant to keep plant crowns hydrated during drought.

If your grass is dormant due to a lack of water, it can turn green within a week of watering it again. If your grass is dormant due to cold temperatures, it should turn green again in early to mid-spring depending on your climate and the weather.

A simple method you can use to determine if your grass is dormant or dead is to simply tug on the brown foliage. You will want to take a small handful of brown turf and tug. If the brown foliage pulls easily from the soil then it is dead, but if the turf has some difficulty when pulled then it is dormant.

Dormant lawns (those that have turned brown) should not be mowed. Pedestrian and mower traffic could damage the turf. Gardeners have two basic options on lawn care when confronted with hot, dry weather. One option is to simply allow the turf to turn brown and go dormant.

Fertilizing a dormant lawn will not harm it. However, the turfgrass may not receive the full benefit of the fertilizer application. If the granular fertilizer remains on the soil surface because of a lack of rain, some of the material may actually volatilize into the air.

Dormancy is the physiological process that grasses use to protect themselves from heat and drought, Kopp says. This state is characterized by a complete cessation of growth along with brown or dead grass blades. The grass blades are not as much of a concern, however, as the crown of the grass plant.

For the snap test, try to bend a section of a limb or stem near the tip. If it's flexible and bends back on itself or cracks open to show flexible white or green tissue, it's likely still alive and dormant. If it snaps off easy, that part is dead.

Can You Resod A Dead Lawn? There is no way to revive dead grass, but you can lay new sod to grow your landscape again from scratch. If you notice brown, bare, or thinning areas in your lawn, these are clear signs that you need to sow new seed or replace the sod.