Is Brown Grass A Sign It’s Dead? Experts Say Probably Not

If your grass is looking crispier than ever, you’re not alone.

Across the UK, once-lusciously-green lawns are drying out. In areas with hosepipe bans in place; brown spindly grass is a common sight.

You might be thinking all is lost and you’re going to have to deal with the troublesome task of starting over with your back garden when the weather cools (and rain finally makes an appearance).

But horticulturist Monty Don has shared some words of reassurance for those whose blades are looking fragile during this period of drought.

“If, like the cricket pitch, your grass is burnt entirely brown with not a blade of green grass, don’t worry,” said the seasoned gardener.

“And don’t waste water on it! I assure you it will recover full greenness very quickly once we get some rain.”

While your grass blades might look frazzled, the underneath of the grass likely tells a different story.

“Most UK lawns simply go dormant during prolonged hot, dry weather,” note the experts at Johnsons Lawn Seed.

Those tiny blades of grass are clever and dormancy is basically a “natural survival mechanism”, the lawn pros added, which helps them to conserve energy until rain arrives.

So long as the plant’s “crown” – the node at which soil and root meet – stays healthy, “the grass has the capability to recover once temperature and moisture conditions improve,” Utah State University explained.

This key section can survive despite, and in fact because of, brown grass blades.

If you do think your grass might be on its last legs, a simple way to tell is by doing a ‘tug test’ – basically, grab a clump of grass and tug.

Dead grass will pull up incredibly easily, with practically no resistance, HuffPost UK previously reported, while dormant grass will remain rooted after being gently tugged.

If your lawn isn’t well-established and you want to stop it from dying immediately, you might be able to still use a hosepipe to water it.

According to Thames Water’s hosepipe ban FAQs page, people can use a hose or sprinkler if their new lawn was recently laid by a business as a service.

“In this case, hose use is allowed for the first 28 days from the day of planting, sowing or turf laying. The hosepipe must only be used on the new planting, and not elsewhere,” reads the site.

After 28 days, gardeners should switch to a watering can instead (or use an approved irrigation system).

Some irrigation systems are allowed to be used during hosepipe bans – although you should check with your water supplier as rules vary.

Thames Water notes that customers can use approved drip or trickle irrigation watering systems.

But they “must be fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer”. Irrigation systems which cause surface run-off or dispersion of water through the air (using a jet or mist) aren’t allowed.