Here in Indiana, it’s not uncommon to see a brown lawn during certain times of the year. It’s natural for us to assume that that grass is dead. Contrary to popular belief, while brown grass isn’t aesthetically pleasing, it’s most likely dormant. This grass will green up as conditions improve.
A good way to determine if it is dormant is by reversing the issue: water! Water it regularly and heavily for a couple of days. This should bring your lawn out of dormancy. Also, avoid mowing your grass during this time as longer blades of grass will provide shade to the root and retain water.
After watering there may be some patches or areas that stay brown. If there are many areas that need to be replaced or the areas are quite large, sodding is your best bet. Checking your lawn before deciding it is dead could potentially save you time as well as money. Replacing your lawn is hard work, so ensure you give it proper attention for a few days before writing it off! Re-sodding or reseeding certain areas is a lot easier and more cost-effective than replacing your entire lawn!
