The good news is that the plant can stay dormant for a good while before dying so that, if the water is applied, there can be a full recovery in as little as a few days. These pictures show the damage of heat stress. If your lawn looks like this, water it!
If the heat and drought stress is severe, your lawn may go dormant. In this case, have no fear! This is your lawn's natural survival mechanism. With the right care, your lawn should green back up again and make a full recovery.
Proper watering is the most critical factor in recovering a heat-stressed lawn. Water deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root growth. Early morning watering is recommended because it reduces evaporation and allows the grass to dry out before nightfall, avoiding the risk of fungal diseases.
It can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months for stressed plants to recover. Recovery time depends on the amount of damage that the heat caused to the plant. If a stressed plant is completely neglected during a heatwave, it can take several months or even be impossible to revive it.
Watering in the afternoon is throwing water away to evaporation. Watering at night invites disease. Half an inch twice a week or 1 inch a week should keep your lawn refreshed. If your lawn is prone to heat stress, you might want to overseed it in the fall with a grass that's been bred to handle heat and drought.
The tips of the grass blades will brown first, eventually affecting the whole blade. However, heat stress can be challenging to identify because many pests and diseases also cause discoloration. Dry and Brittle Grass Blades: grass blades become dry and brittle and may crunch underfoot.
Typical recovery time is 24 to 48 hours. But if you were close to experiencing heat stroke, it can take longer for the body to recover. Additional factors include being older, carrying extra weight or having underlying health conditions.
Keep them in a shady spot to give them a chance to recover: even plants that look terminally crispy can often revive and re-sprout with this treatment. Larger pots should be heavily watered, then allowed to drain – one deep watering is better than daily sprinkles.
In most cases, the shock is temporary, and with proper plant care, plants usually recover within a few weeks.
On the flip side, if it's remarkably dry, you should also wait to mow. Mowing is stressful on your grass. Because of this, you don't want to cut when it's already under incredible environmental stress, like a lengthy dry spell or severe drought.
Time is the easiest remedy for sun-scorched grass. While you might not like the appearance, your lawn will go back to its healthy state in the near future (as long as you continue to tend to it, of course).
Lightly rake the healthy areas to get rid of dying grass and aerate the soil for root stimulation. Once you have the land prepared, take a rotary seed spreader and lay down new grass seed over the dead spots. Using a lawn roller, gently press the seeds into the soil of the dead spots.
Discoloration: A lawn under a lot of stress will start losing its vibrant color. You may notice that the blades or just the tips get bluish gray or darker green before turning brown. That's because, a stressed-out turf can no longer produce enough chlorophyll to maintain its vibrant, green color.
WATERING SCHEDULE
Deep watering helps to encourage deep root growth. Deeper roots stay cooler and stronger to better protect your lawn and garden from heat stress. Allow a deep watering at least once per week, twice if the temperature exceeds 100 degrees or more for several days in a row.
Sun sensitive plants need immediate shade after overexposure to the sun. If the plants are potted, then move them to a covered porch or indoors. If the plants are in the ground, then cover them with a fabric sun screen that is rated for landscaping. Watch the plants over the next few days to see how well they respond.
Sun-scorched plants can be cut back and fertilized and should recover with time (planting in the ground would be even better!). However, root rot is usually fatal. It is a delicate balance to keep plants well hydrated, but allow the roots to dry out enough to function properly.
Moderately damaged hair may start to return to its “usual self” in two to three months after using heat with caution & twice-weekly treatments, especially if you use treatments & ingredients such as jojoba oil that are specifically targeted at rebuilding your hair's protein & restoring its lipids.
Lay the person down and raise the legs and feet slightly. Remove tight or heavy clothing. Have the person sip chilled water, a sports drink containing electrolytes or another nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine. Cool the person by spraying or sponging with cool water and fanning.
It's probably just going dormant, so it'll green up once it isn't so hot especially at night. A bit longer if a mowing height doesn't hurt in those summer months.
Mow at the height recommended for your grass type and never remove more than ⅓ of the total height in a single mowing, as that can further stress your already stressed-out grass.
The ideal nutrient mix for summer fertilizers, such as 20-0-10, emphasizes high nitrogen and moderate potassium levels to support strong growth and water retention. Summer lawn stress signs include wilting, discoloration, and brittle blades, which indicate the need for adjusted watering and fertilization.