Is your lawn suffering from unsightly brown patches? Dormant grass can be a common issue, especially during extreme weather conditions. The good news is that with the right care, you can revive dormant grass and restore your lawn to its lush, green glory. In this blog post, we’ll provide expert tips and techniques to help you revive dormant grass.
Understanding Dormant Grass
Dormancy in grass is a natural survival mechanism, allowing the lawn to conserve resources during unfavorable conditions such as drought or extreme temperatures. While dormant grass may appear brown and dead, it is often still alive and can recover with proper care. Established grasses can typically survive drought-induced dormancy for around 3-4 weeks.
Step-by-Step Guide to Reviving Dormant Grass
1. Assess the Grass Condition
Before taking any steps to revive dormant grass, it’s important to assess its condition. Check if the grass crowns (the part of the plant where the roots and blades meet) are still firm and white. If they are, your grass is likely dormant rather than dead. You can also give a slight tug on the grass from the base. If the grass easily rips out, it is likely dead.
2. Water Deeply and Consistently
One of the most critical steps in reviving dormant grass is ensuring it receives adequate water. Water your lawn deeply, aiming for about 1-2 inches of water per week, including rainfall. Water early in the morning to minimize evaporation and allow the grass to absorb the moisture effectively.
Reviving your lawn with water will begin in the root zone before working up toward the blades. This process may take a week or longer, so it is important to be consistent with your watering and ensure you can continue watering as needed. Forcing the turf to continuously alternate between an active and dormant status will put unnecessary stress on the plant.
3. Aerate the Lawn
Aeration helps alleviate soil compaction, allowing water, air, and nutrients to reach the grass roots more effectively. Use a lawn aerator to create small holes in the soil, which will enhance root growth and overall lawn health.
Important: keep in mind that aeration itself will create some stress for your turf. We strongly do not recommend aerating in the summer - wait for cooler temps that promote root growth in the fall!
4. Fertilize Appropriately
Feeding your lawn with the right nutrients is essential for reviving dormant grass. Once your lawn has started to re-emerge from dormancy, apply a controlled-release fertilizer that contains nitrogen and potassium. This will promote healthy growth and help the grass recover more quickly.
5. Reseed Sparse Areas
For areas where the grass is particularly thin or bare, reseeding may be necessary. As mentioned above, if you can easily pull turf out by its stands, it's likely dead (assuming no pests are damaging your lawn).
Choose a grass seed that matches your existing lawn and is suitable for your climate. Spread the seed evenly over the sparse areas and lightly rake it into the soil to help establish see-to-soil contact. Keep the area moist until the new grass establishes itself.
6. Control Weeds and Pests
Weeds and pests can exacerbate the stress on dormant grass. Use appropriate weed control methods such as pre-emergents in the spring, and consider a pest control treatment to protect your lawn from damaging pests like grubs and chinch bugs. This will help ensure the grass can recover without competition.
7. Maintain Proper Lawn Care Practices
To prevent your grass from going dormant in the future, it’s important to maintain proper lawn care practices. As discussed, proper watering is critical here. Your biggest obstacles here will be watering bans and lack of rainfall should you not have irrigation.
Regular mowing at the correct height and timely fertilization will also help keep your lawn healthy. Monitor your lawn for signs of stress and address any issues promptly.
Conclusion
Reviving dormant grass may require time and patience, but with the right approach and dedication, you can restore your lawn to its full potential. At Mainely Grass, we are committed to providing top-notch lawn care services and expert advice to help you achieve a healthy, beautiful lawn. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can assist you in reviving your dormant grass!
