If you live in a warm climate and your lawn turns brown every winter season, you may have a warm-season grass that naturally goes dormant during winter months. What looks dead should be green again by late spring or early summer. Lawns in cooler climates are a little different.
How Long Does It Take for Brown Grass to Turn Green Again? The recovery time depends on the cause. Dormant grass can start to green up within 7–10 days with proper watering and care. If the grass is dead, it requires reseeding, fertilization, and consistent maintenance, which could take weeks or even months.
In many cases, the turf recovers on its own after a couple of weeks, especially after a change in the weather, like starting in early September when the nighttime temperatures start to cool off.
There's no way to tell exactly how long it will take for your burnt grass to grow back. It can return to its initial green and lush look in a few weeks, or it can take months. It's a game of patience, and the timeline depends on the grass type, damage level, weather, soil conditions, and lawn care practices.
The timeline largely depends on the burn's cause. Moderately-burnt grass needs about one week to grow back, while heavily-burnt grass takes about one month to reestablish. The recovery time for burnt grass depends on the type of grass on your lawn and the leading cause of the burn.
While truly dead grass cannot be revived, brown, patchy, or dormant grass can often be rejuvenated with the right care and attention. Identifying the root causes of grass issues, such as drought stress, weed competition, pests, diseases, or poor soil quality, is crucial before implementing revival strategies.
If the dried, burnt areas are limited to small bare patches in the lawn, then you may be able to encourage growth there by watering them generously and fertilizing those areas. However, be aware that fertilizing grass during hot weather can make grass less tolerant to heat.
Here is a quick fix. Mix about 3 pounds of grass seed into a wheelbarrow of fine sawdust, mulch, or peat moss. Once your grass seeds have sprouted, mix the seed-sawdust mix with topsoil in roughly a 1:2 ratio. Spread the mix over your bald spots and add starter fertilizer.
How to Repair Burned Grass from Fertilizer. Burned lawns will need a generous amount of water to get back to green. It's important to water your lawn as soon as you spot any brown or yellow patches to prevent further damage. Slowly soak the affected areas every day for about a week to fully flush out the salt.
And, if you are like most folks, turning your winter-beaten lawn into a Spring showplace is near the top of the list of things to do. And, while your lawn will, with a bit of TLC and fertilizer, recover nicely in Spring, Fall is actually the very best time to repair damage and equip your lawn for the rigors of winter.
Consistent watering is crucial in turning your brown, lifeless lawn into a vibrant carpet of rich green. Grass seed must have consistent moisture to germinate and establish healthy roots, so respect this critical step. Water your lawn daily so the soil stays consistently moist. If needed, water twice a day.
Summer's heat, dry conditions and a number of other things can cause ugly brown patches to show up. Fortunately, there's something you can do to turn them back to green – a process called overseeding. Overseeding is the process of applying grass seed directly into existing turf, without tearing up the turf or soil.
Off-color or Discolored Grass
Your lawn should be a deep green color. But if it looks yellow, brown, or even pale in nature, it could be getting too much water.
Damage is, therefore, focused on the blades of the grass, while the crown and root systems are generally unaffected. For this reason, grass suffering from brown patch typically recovers well once the conditions causing it are corrected.
The grass will break dormancy and begin growing again when the temperatures and/or rainfall levels become more ideal for it. Note that when dormancy ends, grass leaves that have turned brown won't revive, but new leaves will appear.
It shows up as scorched areas of the lawn (literally looked “burned”) and is typically crispy and yellow (or brown). If you've overapplied to the entire lawn it might not be enough to burn it but you might notice symptoms such as brown or yellow tips on the grass blades.
With a lawn that just needs a little bit of extra help, it could be as soon as two weeks post-treatment that you notice fewer weeds. In that time, any of the weeds that might have been popping up will wilt down, making your lawn look so much better. It may take slightly longer to “green up”.
It depends on the type of grass. Kentucky bluegrass has runners that help it spread on its own. But many northern grasses are bunch-type grasses which don't spread, so seeding is needed to fill in bare spots. Perennial ryegrass and fescue are among the non-spreaders.
Water the Grass and Watch It
If your grass is dormant, it should turn green again within a week of watering it. If it stays brown, the grass could be dead or have another issue like lawn pests or fungal disease.
Yes, it is absolutely possible to seed an existing lawn that appears lifeless, but you will need to play the role of a grass doctor to determine the cause. For instance, you must first investigate if the dead spot is shaded, too soggy, affected by disease, or has been urinated on by a dog (oops).