Lawn Parched -- Fertilizing Overdue

Most although not all of the green has disappeared due to drought.

What is the best sequence to follow to get the lawn green again?

Do I need to put in extra waterings and wait for the lawn to green up before fertilizing?

It seems to me that greening up will be difficult because fertilizing is overdue.

 

Brown grass is in need of water, not fertilizer. Putting down fertilizer is like giving a cheese burger to a person in the desert. Start with watering it. After it comes back you can decide to fertilize it.

 

It is completely normal for grass to turn yellow/brown in the summer due to a lack of water. It is NOT dead, just gone dormant because of the weather. Fertilizing is perhaps the worst thing to do at this time as it WILL cause harm. Only fertilize in early fall and early spring when the grass is actively growing.

If you water, (I let god water my grass) do NOT water frequently and in small amounts. Water two or three times a week but water enough to get the soil wet a couple of inches or more deep. Shallow watering encourages shallow roots while deep watering encourages deep roots. Deep rooted grass will be healthier and stay green longer. If the water has a tendency to run off the area then you need to aerate the soil. Plug aeration (the tool actually pulls little plugs of soil from the ground) is far superior to spike aeration which can have the opposite effect and actually contribute to soil compaction.

 

Rule of thumb is 1" of water per week for grass. Of course soil conditions vary so your mileage will vary.

 

It is too late in the season for fertilizing. Fertilizing late invites several diseases in additon to the stress of forcing growth when the plant should be going dormant or at least slowing down. So, forget about getting the lawn green just so you can fertilize. Be ready in late August or September for a fall fertilizing.

You can let the grass go dormant (brown). It's completely normal and what many grasses to to survive the heat and reduced water of summer. If you want to water follow the previous advice and water less frequently and deeply to encourage deep, strong roots.

 

Where have I read that before?

Must be an echo in here.

 

Also, when you do water, the best time to water is in the morning hours between 6 and 10. Try not to do any nighttime watering as this could lead to diseased grass.

 

Thanks for the ideas. I will be careful not to put fertilizer on brown grass.

Long long time ago, I had a fertilizer service. They came at regular intervals. I don't recall if they came when the grass was brown but that year there were more frequent rainstorms. Nowadays I do the fertilizing myself to save some money.