There are a lot of reasons why grass turns yellow even when having watered it regularly.
Some of the main reasons include using too much or too less fertilizers and pesticides, the scorching heat of the sun, improper irrigation, and even poor drainage systems.
Seeing heat-burnt grass during summer time can be really painful, especially when you have put a lot of effort into getting the maintenance right.
Also, keep in mind that just sprinkling water does not usually help when the grass is too dry and burnt. Lawn grass requires minimum of about an inch supply of water every week to stay green. Still, we can understand if some people can’t afford the time to do it regularly.
However, there are a few remedies which can help make your grass be healthy again. Among many methods, we will share the ones which we found to be most effective so that they can make your grass bloom in no time.
With that said, let’s take a look at how you can save your grass from yellowing or staying dormant.
Learn How to Heal Heat-Burnt Grass
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Mowing
As much as you’re tempted to mow the lawn, we would suggest to keep it as it is.
The condition of the grass is already fragile and it’s not going to grow, so mowing it would only add more pressure.
Also, try to stay off the grass as long as possible. You might want to take your regular lawn activities someplace else until the area is healed again.
Still, if you can’t tolerate the length of the grass and want to cut it immediately, we would suggest checking if your mower has sharp blades. This will be much better since dull blades can destroy the form of your grass.
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Watering
If you’re still watering your burnt lawn uniformly throughout, it’s about time you consider changing the irrigation process.
There will be some spots where the grass is totally burnt or dead, while there will be spots in which the grass still remains green and healthy. In such cases, you simply cannot give them the same amount of water.
When treating burnt spots, you have to put in some extra care such as watering them every chilly morning because there is very less heat, so they get all the water to themselves.
We would recommend giving a plenty amount of water until you are sure it has reached the roots of the grass. For this purpose, the water will have to go as deep as 5-6 inches before it gets in touch with the roots.
A common mistake many people make is to think that sprinkling water regularly will be sufficient enough to keep the grass healthy. But that does not apply to mordant or burnt grass since the water does not reach their roots.
Watering too shallow will also do more harm to the grass and will even cause them to die. This is because the roots will search for the moisture and come up to the surface, hence, increasing the chance of dying when they get in touch with the heat.
In fact, what you must do is shower the yellow grass with a lot of water until the soil is almost soaky wet.
But if you are too busy to manage all the tiring lawn work, it’s time to consider installing sprinklers.
Tip: One of the best solutions to cure burnt grass through watering is to add charcoal on the top soil. Damp charcoal is responsible for removing or detoxifying any kind of chemicals/fertilizers which are used on the grass.
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Start choosing and planting new seeds
If the area where the burnt patch lies is large, it would be impossible to plant new seeds unless you’re renovating the entire lawn as well. But if it manageable by hands, you can try making some changes.
Rather than spending too much time taking care of a small patch, what you can do is remove the burnt grass and plant new seeds.
This is a much simpler method because it doesn’t involve reviving the plant and going through a very long process to make sure the grass becomes normal again.
When planting new seeds, always remember to remove the previous soil and add a new one so that you can be sure new grass will grow healthily.
The plot in which new grass is planted must receive a lot of water for a few weeks straight until you can see they are growing.
After planting the seeds, it is important to cover up the surface with straws just to prevent birds and insects from eating them. Not only that but during watering, it will also prevent them from washing away.
Purchasing seeds
We do not recommend buying just about any expensive or cheap seeds to solve the problem. That’s because seeds have only a small role to play in deciding whether the grass will be healthy or not.
However, we would suggest doing a little study and know what kind of soil you have beforehand. With enough knowledge, you’ll be able to make better decisions when buying seeds.
If you’re wondering why this would be so important, that’s because some seeds go well with the climate and environment while some don’t.
There are many companies which claim to include coatings and fertilizers to help seeds germinate but in reality, grass seeds do not have such requirements to grow.
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Sugar
If you know the effect that sugar has on the grass, you’ll surely want it for the next lawn maintenance.
Your grass will stay healthy and green, all thanks to the power that sugar gave to the soil. Sugar enriches the soil and can be beneficial for the microbes and other organisms.
What you have to do is add about 1 lb of sugar per 300 square ft on your lawn. And if you already have added sugar to the lawn, we highly suggest not to add any kind of fertilizers because the combination will prevent the grass from turning green.
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New sod
Some heat-burnt problems can be solved using specific solutions but sometimes the damage is too much for small solutions. In such cases, the best option to go for is to add a new sod in order to get a new lawn.
Re-sod means to actually remove the existing grass which is heat-burnt followed by adding a new layer of sod.
No doubt, this would be a lengthy and tough project to take on, but once it’s done, it will completely be worth it.
However, keep in mind that the new sod needs to be looked after with extra care so that it does not get heat burn again.
Re-sod can also be used for small patches if you do not wish to put in too much effort or even to plant new seeds directly. It is both a simple and a much affordable way to renew burnt patches rather than renovating the whole lawn.
After adding a new sod, you can plant new seeds and get better and greener lawn results.
The fixed patches should be looked after with extra care during the initial period because that’s the time they will require the most of your attention.
Always remember that heat burn is right around the corner, therefore, it’s important to take preventive measures so that it does not occur again. Otherwise, the whole situation would repeat itself time and again.
Lastly, the fresh sods are fragile and is liable to get damaged. Therefore, too much of fertilizers can harm them. Also, proper irrigation is needed as per their requirement.
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Fertilizers
The grass gets an amount of benefits from microbes to keep it healthy and green. And while sugar can help keep the microbes alive, too much use of fertilizers and pesticides can eradicate them.
With the sun already responsible in damaging the colors, fertilizers just add to the the pressure if used in extensive quantity or even lesser amount for that matter.
Hence, it is always safe to first read the usage directions carefully before spraying them on to the grass. It will clarify the right season for using fertilizers.
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Repair the lawn
We can say that repairing the whole lawn would probably be the last resort.
This is an option we would take if the whole lawn is a disaster and our worst nightmare has come true. To repair or renovate the lawn would cost loads of money so that’s why we would do it only if we have no other choice.
Even after repairing the lawn, there is still a lot of responsibility that will come afterwards if we do not want the same disaster to occur.
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Proper drainage system
As we have mentioned, there are tonnes of reasons that cause heat-burnt grass. One of these play an indirect role – drainage systems.
Without good drainage functions, the soil can either get too much or too little water.
Sometimes, clogged water drainage systems can kill the grass because there is too much water and no nutrients. On the other hand, drains that malfunction will bring about shortage of water supply in certain parts of the lawn.
What you can do to find out the issue is to check the burnt patch soil and see if it’s drier than the one from its surroundings. If that’s the case, it probably means your lawn is having dehydration issues.
Unlike other issues we’ve mentioned, this one is not easy to tackle by yourself since it requires someone with expertise.
We would suggest looking for experts to install proper drainage systems that you can find here. A team of professionals in this line of work will be able to help you install these.
Steps for regrowing lawn grass
If you want some tips on how to regrow your lawn grass, take a look at our short guide below:
Step 1
The first thing you should do is remove as much burnt grass as you can. The easiest way to do it is to start thatching with a rake and try to get rid of all the brittle grass.
In case the patch is too big, you can always rip off the whole area.
Step 2
Once the area is cleared, start filling it with soil until it levels with the surface. Lay down one layer of any lawn fixer which is a mixture of certain ingredients to fill the empty areas. Again, this can be done by using a rake for distributing the mixture evenly.
Step 3
It is important to water the mixture daily. If you don’t have the time to maintain it, we suggest getting an automatic irrigation system.
Step 4
After a certain period of time, you’ll see that the grass will start growing. In case there a few patches are still visible, throw in more seeds and water regularly.
Do not forget to cover up the seeds with straws to protect them from birds or insects.
Step 5
Even when the grass has grown, take heed not to give up the hard work of maintaining your lawn. It will still require attention and care.
Once the grass is green and healthy, you can start mowing it.
Steps for fixing lawn grass
Before treating the yellow grass, it is crucial that you first find out what the source of the problem is.
Besides the sun’s heat and poor irrigation, seasonal changes can also be a natural cause. Dormant grass may be the result of autumn arriving, while yellowing in the summer can be due to the heat.
Also, if you see a spot which does not look like a natural heat burn, chances are, your pet dog must have been the culprit urinating there.
Until you have figured out the cause, you can start taking action in repairing the grass.
Step 1
In case the place is dry, you might require to water the area. There is a chance that the soil has too much sand, so it won’t be able to hold any moisture.
Always water the grass in the morning when the atmosphere is still cool. We’d recommend doing this twice a week. Proper irrigation will also help keep insects away.
Step 2
Always make sure to fertilize your soil so that the grass does not run out of nutrients. Keep a check for nutrient requirements.
Step 3
Make sure never to use too much fertilizers or pesticides as this can lead to what is known as ‘chemical burn’, which is not good for the grass.
Step 4
Keep a watch on your pets when they “have to go”. The acid in their urine can really damage the grass.
What you can do after they’re done is flush the area with a lot of water to dissolve the urine.
Step 5
In case you want to take extra care for your lawn, take a unit of it to the closest extension office where they can show you how to maintain your grass better.
Step 6
Lastly, check if your lawn is a total mess or in good condition. If you feel there is a lot of room to upgrade it, maybe you can turn to dethatching it at least once a year.
You can always rent or buy dethatchers from the nearest lawn equipment store.
Conclusion
While taking care of the grass can seem as a hectic task, the results of an admirable lawn, however, will always complement both you and your home.
It is no secret that we all want our property to look attractive. It only requires time and care to make it healthy and appealing.
With that, we’ll wrap up today’s article! We hope to see you again soon.
All the best!
