Dormant Grasses

Any Grass Type Can Go Dormant When the Weather Gets Hot

Problem Grass Dormant Grasses

Why Do Grasses Go Dormant?

Though we live in an area that has hot Summers, the majority of the year is relatively cool or cold. For this reason, our lawns are comprised of cool season grass types. Because of this, they have a tough time thriving when the hot weather comes around. Any grass type can go dormant, however, some grasses go dormant faster than others. Bentgrass and Rough Bluegrass are among the first to go dormant when the temperature gets hot, usually 90 degrees or above for a solid week. It’s important to remember that when grasses go dormant, they’re really telling us that they’ve had it for the year. They are NOT dead and 95% of the time, they come back the following Spring.

How Can Dormancy Be Avoided?

Many times clients will ask you if watering will help keep grasses from going dormant. The answer is that watering may keep dormancy at bay for a little while. However, it is very difficult for anyone to guarantee that the grass will not go dormant eventually. The best way to avoid dormancy is to kill off a lawn with heavy Bentgrass or Rough Bluegrass and reseed with more drought and heat tolerant grass types. 

What Can Be Done Once Grasses Go Dormant?

There is nothing you can do once a grass type goes dormant. It will most likely stay that way until the temperatures are cool enough to revive it. This usually doesn’t happen until late Fall or the following Spring. We recommend seeding with the drought and heat-resistant grasses found in the Good Nature Tuff Turf Grass Seed. August and September are an ideal time to seed. Reach out if you’d like to learn more about infusing your lawn with tougher modern grasses! 

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