Is My Lawn Dead or Dormant?

After weeks of hot, dry weather, lawns across the UK are looking decidedly worse for wear. With temperatures continuing to rise, everyone is wondering: is my lawn dead, or will it recover?

Bright green grass has turned a desert brown, the ground is rock solid, and most lawns can only be described as frazzled! The good news is that a brown lawn isn’t necessarily a dead lawn.

In this article, we explain the difference between a dead and dormant lawn, how to tell the difference between them, and how you can returf your lawn successfully once the rain returns!

Content Overview:

• What’s causing brown, dry turf in the UK?
• How to test if your lawn is dead or dormant
• Helping your lawn during a heatwave
• View our range of turf
• Why not dig up a dead lawn and start again
• A smarter way to re-turf after a drought
• Speak to the experts
• FAQs

What’s Causing Brown, Dry Turf In The UK?

Ultimately, grass turns brown in extreme heat because it’s exhausted its access to moisture. Without water, it loses its strength, resilience and colour. It also becomes vulnerable to scorching, turning brown or dying off completely.

Grass is surprisingly resilient though, and if your lawn has robust roots, it may simply be dormant. But what’s the difference, and how do you know if your turf is dormant or dead?

Read More: Revive Your Lawn: Solutions for Dealing with Dry Grass 

How To Test If Your Lawn Is Dead or Dormant

We have two easy ways to test if your lawn is dead or dormant, and whether it will revive after extreme heat.

1. The Tug Test

Take a look at the base of your grass; if there’s a green shoot, this is a sign of growth and that the root is anchored in. It should bounce back quite happily once rain arrives.

To test root strength, pick one of the brownest areas of your lawn, grab a small handful of turf and give it a gentle tug. If the grass stays firmly in the ground, it’s dormant and should recover from the heat.

If your grass pulls out easily, with the root still attached, unfortunately there’s little chance of it coming back. This is a sign that your grass, in that area, has died due to a lack of moisture.

Small patches of dead grass can be easily repaired with grass seed and fertiliser. However, larger areas or entire lawns may require a bigger fix such as installing fresh turf.

2. The Watering Test

Another way to test if your lawn is dead or dormant is by watering a small section.

During a hosepipe ban, you cannot water your entire lawn; if we could, that would solve all of our problems! However, you can use a watering can and focus on one small patch.

If you water the same patch over the next week or two, you will see how your lawn will respond once the rain comes. If you spot new shoots, brighter greens and taller leaves, then the roots are still strong, and your grass will recover.

If, after a week of watering, your grass remains looking like a field of Weetabix, the most likely cause is that your grass and roots have died due to drought.  The best solution? Replacing the turf.

How To Help Your Lawn During A Heatwave

Here are our top tips to help your lawn survive a long, dry summer:

• Scarify your lawn: Clearing your lawn of debris or dead organic material will help protect your lawn from potential lawn diseases. Gently scarify or rake your lawn to remove surface thatch.
• Invest in a water butt: A waterbutt will collect rainwater throughout the year. So, when we experience another drought or hosepipe ban, you have a supply of water stored and ready to use.
• Aerate your lawn: If you have patches of dry, brown grass, it could be that the soil underneath is compacted. Use a garden fork to spike holes into the ground that’ll allow more oxygen and water to flow through.
• Plan for new turf: The best way to help your lawn during a heatwave is proactive lawn care and planning. Starting in spring, consider the following:
  • • Fertilise your lawn to ensure it has the nutrients it needs
    • Overseed thin or weak areas of grass to stop weeds from taking over
    • Aerate compacted areas of turf to help water reach the roots
    • Look for a drought-resistant turf such as Clover Turf

View Our Range of Turf

• Trident Turf
• Wild Flower Turf
• Clover Turf
• Show Lawn Turf
• Hardwearing Turf
• Species-Rich Turf
• Greens Turf
• Shade Tolerant Turf
• Revetting Turf
• View All

Why Not Just Dig Up a Dead Lawn and Start Again?

Replacing your lawn after a heatwave can be very tempting, and a great option if you can wait until autumn. However, for homeowners wanting a vibrant, healthy lawn before then, you may be looking to install fresh turf ASAP.

When laying new turf, we always recommend removing the existing grass and rotavating the soil to create a soft tilth where new roots can anchor in.

However, to rotavate the soil, you need moisture, especially when working with extremely dry soil. If there’s a hosepipe ban in place, we cannot use excess water to prepare the ground correctly for turf, or follow the 28-day watering window for new turf.

Digging up the dead turf and laying fresh turf isn’t always the best solution. But what is? How do we lay new turf after a heatwave?

A Smarter Way to Re-Turf After a Drought

When water conservation is critical after a prolonged dry spell, there is another option to laying new turf.

This is a controversial method, but for homeowners eager to have a lush green lawn in time for autumn and winter, this may offer a practical solution that doesn’t cost the earth, waste your time or use unnecessary amounts of water.

Step 1: Wait for any hose pipe bans to be lifted

The important note here is that new turf still requires water. So, wait for any hose pipe bans to be lifted or when consistent rainfall is due.

Step 2: Mow dead turf as low as possible

Start by putting your lawn mower to its lowest setting. The aim is to cut away as much dead grass as possible.

Step 3: Scarify the lawn

Use a scarifying machine or rake to remove as much organic matter from the surface of your lawn as possible.

Step 4: Add topsoil & compost

Evenly spread approximately 1 to 3cm of raised bed mix (a mix of compost and soil) across your lawn.

This will create a nutrient-rich layer for fresh turf to sit on, with the raised bed mix helping to retain moisture and support young roots.

Step 5: Lay your new turf

Lay your rolls of turf, one at a time, onto your prepared surface of topsoil and raised bed mix. Follow a brick wall-like pattern, ensuring the edges butt together tightly.

Step 6: Water your turf

Water your new turf daily to help the new roots work their way through the topsoil and into the existing soil.