| It's really difficult to tell whether a lawn is dead or dormant just by looking at it. Summer heat can kill grass, but grasses can go dormant in the summer heat, as well. With a dormant lawn, the grass plants may appear dead to the naked eye, but deep inside the plant there is a small area (called the crown) that is still alive. Once this crown gets moisture again, it will come to life and the turf will green up in 10-14 days. If the lawn is dead, no amount of watering will help it green up. In this case you might be able to breathe some life into your lawn by aerating, spreading about an inch of compost or sand over the lawn, and watering it in well. The compost or sand, plus the soil from the plugs will work its way down into the holes made by the aerator and help loosen the soil. It will also hold moisture and provide plenty of spaces for the roots of the grass to grow. You can then overseed the lawn and if kept well watered, it should green up for you. Best wishes with your lawn. |
