Why Is My Lawn Brown?
Why Is My Lawn Brown?
Dead Grass vs. Dormancy
July 21, 2026
We are no strangers to drought in recent years, and this summer is shaping up to be another dry one. You may have noticed around your neighborhood that there are a lot of brown lawns. Most of our yards in the Minneapolis & St. Paul metro contain “cool season grasses,” which thrive in cool, wet conditions. As temperatures rise above 75 degrees, these grasses can experience heat stress and enter dormancy to conserve water and other resources. While some of these brown lawns in your neighborhood may have gone dormant, some may have just died. Different types of cool-season grass show stress at different times; for example, fine fescue often goes dormant earliest and shaded or sun-exposed areas may look different.
How to Tell If Your Lawn Is Dead or Just Dormant
The easiest way to tell if your lawn has just kicked the bucket is to pull on some blades of grass. If your lawn is dormant, you should feel some resistance from the roots still attached to the ground. This is because when the grass goes dormant, the roots remain alive and strong, even though the top may be brown.
The grass will pull up with little to no resistance if your lawn is truly dead. It is best to rule out other common lawn issues first, such as pests and diseases, since these can also cause brown patches. However, in times of extensive heat and lack of rain, it is a safe bet that your issue is water related.
Should You Water During a Drought?
The short answer: probably.
Going dormant is a normal aspect of our turf grasses, which typically occurs when temperatures exceed their ideal range of 55-75 degrees. Dormancy is the plant shutting down its normal functions to conserve energy under stressful conditions, such as prolonged heat or drought. All your lawn needs to break dormancy is more water and some cooler weather. If your lawn does not recover after regular watering and cooler weather, it may have been severely affected by drought. In that case, reseeding or laying new sod may be necessary to restore your lawn.
During times of drought, it is essential to water periodically to ensure that the roots at least stay alive. For specific watering tips and schedules, see the “Smart & Eco-Friendly Watering Tips” section below.
If you are looking for the most effective way to water your lawn, check out our blog on proper watering techniques.
Protecting Your Lawn Through Dormancy
Across the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro, we have experienced drought conditions in recent years. Sometimes, the weather and the local water supply are beyond your control. If environmental concerns, high water costs, or water restrictions prevent you from watering your lawn as often as you’d like, there are simple steps you can take to save it:
- If possible, maintain some minimal watering. Your lawn will still look brown, but it will have a better chance of surviving the drought.
- You can easily damage a dormant, drought-stressed lawn, so it is best to stay off it as much as possible. Signs of heat stress and drought include wilting (loss of turgor pressure), footprints remaining after you walk on the grass, a yellow or pale green color, and eventual browning.
- Once the lawn receives water again, it should start to green up within 14 days.
- Areas that do not green up may need to be reseeded. Prolonged drought can also lead to localized dry spots—irregular patches where the soil becomes hydrophobic and repels water. Fixing these areas may require focused watering, improved environmental conditions, wetting agents, and/or aeration.
Smart & Eco-Friendly Watering Tips
Want to help your lawn and your wallet? Here are some simple, eco-friendly ways to save water while keeping your grass healthy:
Make sure it’s set correctly and fix broken heads, so you’re not watering the street or running sprinklers during rain.
Avoid getting trunks wet for long periods and allow roots to stretch by spacing out waterings.
Taller grass shades the soil, limiting evaporation and reducing stress during drought.
This helps prevent overwatering or forgetting to turn off sprinklers.
A minimum of 1/2” every 7–14 days keeps roots alive and avoids the higher environmental impact of restoring a dead lawn. Even a healthy lawn may go dormant in heat and drought, but it will usually bounce back when conditions improve.
Need Help Restoring Your Lawn? Let Us Assist!
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