Dead vs. Dormant

Central Indiana lawns are drying out. We've only had .05 inches of rain since June 1. That's 14 days with virtually no rain. And May wasn't a blockbuster in terms of precipitation. What does that mean? Lawns that aren't irrigated are going dormant. When lawns dry out, they turn from green to brown as they enter dormancy. A dormant lawn is still alive, but it doesn't look like it is. You can preserve a lawn in dormancy with some moderate watering. But a lawn can only survive in dormancy for a few weeks without water. If your lawn is showing evidence of browning, you may want to take a closer look. Go out into your yard and inspect the crown of the plant. The crown of the grass plant is found at the base of the blades, just above dirt level. When your lawn is green and thriving, the crown is white in color and pliable. If it is dry and brown, then the plant may be dead. If it is white and pliable (even if the grass blade is brown and dry), you can still salvage your lawn...but you have to put down some water (read previous posts for watering advice). The longer we go without rain, the more your lawn is at risk. Right now most browning lawns are dormant, but without rain or heavy watering, dormancy will give way to death. Lawn Pride Watering Advice `