- A brown lawn in August doesn’t mean it’s dying—it’s likely just dormant, a natural survival mechanism where grass stops growing to conserve water during heat stress, with roots remaining alive for up to six weeks.
- Experts revealed that overwatering dormant lawns causes root rot and disease, so homeowners should apply only a quarter inch of water per three weeks and reduce mowing to help grass survive, not revive.
- You should also avoid fertilizing dormant lawns, as high salt content damages grass and forces weak growth, while limiting foot traffic and aerating in fall promotes healthy recovery before winter.
This time of summer, especially in drier parts of the country, it’s common for lawns to start to brown. It’s also common for homeowners to panic at the sight, assuming their lawn is about to give up the ghost. Relax: a brown lawn isn’t dying; it’s merely going dormant.
Dormancy is a natural state of rest where a lawn stops growing and turns brown to conserve water and energy during periods of high stress. In other words, it’s perfectly normal. In most cases, a lawn can remain dormant for up to six weeks without trouble, since its roots are still very much alive. But there are things you can do to get your lawn through the end-of-summer dry spell.
Water wisely
Most dormant lawns only need a quarter inch of water during a three-week period to survive dormancy. Many people make the mistake of watering their dormant lawn every day to try to get it to green up again. Unfortunately, the dormant blades can’t absorb all that water, so the wet soil ends up leading to root rot, disease, and other issues. Remember: the goal during dormancy is to help your lawn survive, not make it green and lush again.
Mow less often (if at all)
Because dormant lawns grow a lot less quickly, you can scale back your mowing schedule significantly. Our experts talk about the one-third rule, whereby you should never cut off more than one-third of the lawn when mowing. During dormancy, you should be even less aggressive, which might mean keeping the mower away for the entire month of August.
Lay off the fertilizer
Applying fertilizer to a dormant lawn is one of the surest ways to kill it. That’s because the high salt content in nitrogen fertilizers creates a “burn effect” by pulling moisture out of the lawn. The fertilizer will also force the grass to grow at the wrong time, leading to weak shoots that won’t do well when the weather turns cold again. The best (and in many cases only) time to fertilize the lawn is in early fall. This application will repair any summer damage and create a strong root system heading into winter.
Limit foot traffic
A dormant lawn is more brittle, so walking across it can break the stems. That’s why August is usually not the best time for backyard barbecues and Wiffle ball tournaments. Heavy foot traffic also compacts the soil, preventing water, air, and nutrients from reaching the roots. Before you fertilize in the fall, it’s a good idea to aerate the lawn with a core aerator. This will pull tiny plugs of soil and grass from the lawn, helping it breathe and promoting deep roots.
Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.
