How Do I Avoid A Brown Lawn in Summer Heat?

We have all been there, your lawn is looking great. The grass is thick, green, and feels great beneath your toes. 

But, seemingly out of nowhere, your lawn becomes brown. 

What happened!? 

So, now you want to know: "How can I prevent my lawn from turning brown in the summer heat?"

Well…

Good news! 9 times out of 10, a brown lawn caused by summer heat is preventable. 

And the solutions are rather simple. 

Below you will find out how you can prevent your lawn from turning brown when summer heat rolls in. 

Mow Your Grass Higher in the Summer

As the summer heat rolls in, your lawn needs to hold on to as much water as it can. And cutting your lawn too low will reduce it's ability to retain moisture. And less water will be contained in the grass itself.

While there are other things you can do to ensure that your lawn itself retains more moisture, the best way to keep more water in the lawn is to simply raise your cutting height.

So, as summer heat rolls in, raise your cutting height an inch or two. 

Get this while your lawn may be healthy at 2 to 2.5 inches in spring and fall, your lawn needs to be about 3 to 4 inches in the heat of the summer to be better equipped to survive drought. 

Proper Watering Is Essential

Look this one is truly no secret, another great way to prevent your lawn from turning brown in the summer is to water it regularly. 

Of course, in some cities, you simply are not allowed to use enough water to do so. If that's the case you really need to focus on letting your lawn grow taller and utilizing the following techniques to ensure your lawn holds as much water as possible. 

Pro Tip! Watering deeper and less often will create deeper roots that are accustomed to drought. The deeper your roots can reach, the more water they potentially have access to. And if you have taken the steps below, your grass will have plenty of water to drink from.

Syringing the Lawn

Syringing is the act of briefly watering in the middle of the day to cool the lawn down. 

Simply turn on your irrigation system for 5 minutes around the hottest part of the day. While this idea contradicts the general recommendations for watering, the idea is not to water the lawn, but to cool it down. 

However, the verdict is still out on whether syringing is effective or not. 

Pro Tip! If you are in an area with strict water usage limits, you may want to consider using rain barrels to store up water for those hot summer days when your lawn is in desperate need of water. 

Creating a Lawn That Stays Hydrated Year Round

Look, regular lawn maintenance helps your lawn retain more water. This is why we highly recommend that you hire a lawn care professional to care for your lawn properly. 

Some tasks that should be performed to help your lawn retain moisture include:

• Annual or biannual aeration and overseeding,

• Regularly using organic granular fertilizer,

• Top dressing your lawn annually. 

Each of these tasks will help your lawn retain moisture, and more efficiently use the water and nutrients it has available. That way it will be better prepared should a summer drought arise.

Pro Tip! Do not fertilize in the summer, certain fertilizers will cause the lawn to burn in the summer heat. 

Like this:

Humates Help Hold Water in the Lawn

Humus or humates are the organic material that makes up your soil and can act like a mulch for your lawn. Allowing the grass to grow freely, all the while helping to retain moisture. 

Further humus can house beneficial bacteria and fungi that can allow a lawn to be more drought tolerant. 

A good topdressing with compost will help add humates regularly to the lawn. You can compost your grass clippings and kitchen scraps to make a great top-dressing mix that will add plenty of humates to your lawn. 

Pro Tip! Organic fertilizers will feed microorganisms. Unlike synthetic fertilizers which will often kill them, and can lead to poor nutrient uptake and less drought-tolerant grass. 

If All Else Fails You Can Paint Your Lawn

So, you did your best and still wound up with a brown lawn? 

Well, there is an easy fix. Maybe you should paint your lawn. 

Here’s the deal, lawn paint is a fast, easy and affordable way to give your lawn the green appearance it once had. Best of all your lawn can stay green for up to 3 months if it is done correctly. 

Get this, you can even paint your lawn yourself. You won’t need much equipment either. 

Pro Tip! While lawn paint is pet and child friendly, you need to let it fully dry before using the lawn.  

FAQ: How Do I Avoid A Brown Lawn in Summer Heat

What are the best practices for lawn care during extreme heat?

Best practices include watering deeply but infrequently, avoiding cutting the grass too short, using proper fertilizers judiciously, and applying products like turf colorants to maintain green color without excessive watering.

Why should you avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers in the summer?

High-nitrogen fertilizers in the summer can burn the grass, especially under stress from heat and drought, worsening the lawn's condition.

Can dead grass be revived, or should it be reseeded?

Dead grass cannot be revived and should be reseeded or resodded to restore the lawn.

Preventing a Brown Lawn At the End of the Day

Brown lawns are usually a preventable experience. 

It's simple, the biggest cause of most brown lawns in the summertime aside from lack of water, is cutting them too short. 

Fortunately, if your lawn does become brown in the summer there is a simple solution. And honestly, as strange as it seems painting your lawn is actually a solid solution to make your lawn look better if push comes to shove. 

To learn more about caring for your lawn, check out our guide to lawn care.

Pro Tip! Don't forget that shade trees can dramatically lower your lawn's exposure to direct sunlight, maybe consider adding a few to cool down the lawn.