How To Tell If Yellow Grass Is Actually Dead

As summer approaches, conscientious gardeners might be thinking about how to protect their gardens from yet another drought.

In the past few years, brutal heatwaves and hosepipe bans have become staples of the British summer.

And yes, that means yellowed, crispy-looking grass is becoming an increasingly familiar sight, too.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said that suntanned blades don’t always signal a crisis, though. “In hot summers with little or no rain, lawns can turn brown and stop growing. Although this looks serious, the grass will green up once rain returns,” the society explained.

However, if you have a less-established lawn and/or think your patch’s suntan is a little more serious, you can always try the “tug test”.

It’s simple: you grab a clump of grass and tug.

Mowing company Hayter explained on its site that the way in which your grass responds to being yanked can reveal whether it’s dead or just temporarily a little worse for wear.

“The most important thing to remember is that brown grass does not equal dead grass. It could instead be a sign of dormancy – the process of grass hibernating to conserve energy during stressful periods,” including dry spells, the mowing experts said.

The test is the “easiest way” to tell if grass is dead, they added.

Gardening experts at Green Meadow Lawncare said “dead grass will have a dead root system and therefore pull up out of the ground very easily”, while dormant grass “might appear brown and dead, but its root system will still be intact”.

So, when you gently tug at a clump of grass:

• Dead grass will pull up incredibly easily, with practically no resistance.
• Dormant grass will remain rooted after being gently tugged.

Though it might not tell you whether or not your grass is officially dead, a “footprint test” is a great way to spot drought in your backyard.

If the imprint of your shoe stays for long after you’ve stepped over your grass, that could be a sign it’s experiencing “drought stress” and is in need of thorough watering.