During drought, you may worry if your lawn starts to turn brown, but brown or straw-colored turf grass is not typically dead turf grass.
In many cases, cool-season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass have entered dormancy, which is a completely normal survival response to heat and limited water availability.
Dormancy also allows the grass plant to slow its growth and conserve energy until conditions improve. The leaves may turn straw-colored or brown, but the crown of the plant, a growing point near the soil surface, remains alive.
When cooler temperatures return and there is more moisture available, turf grasses recover their green color.
That said, dormant turf grass is not completely indestructible during extended hot and dry periods.
It may need a small amount of water every few weeks to keep the plant crowns alive, especially on hot, exposed sites or sandy soils. In our research, we have found that this can be as little as one quarter an inch of water per month.
Another recommendation is to limit traffic on dormant lawns. They are more vulnerable to wear and may not recover quickly until active growth resumes.
It's also important to avoid fertilizing a drought-stressed or dormant lawn. Fertilizers encourage growth, and during drought, grass is not trying to grow. It's trying to slow down and survive.
Wait until cooler weather returns and the lawn begins actively growing again before fertilizing.
As drought conditions continue across the state, rethink what a healthy lawn looks like.
A less than perfectly green lawn is a sign that the grass is doing what it has evolved to do: conserve resources and wait out stressful conditions with careful irrigation, reduced traffic, and realistic expectations.
Turf grass dormancy can contribute to water conservation efforts in the state.
More information on this and other topics may be found at extension.usu.edu.
This is Kelly Kopp, USU Extension Water Conservation and turf grass specialist, wishing you a great summer.
