How To Tell If Your Abilene Lawn Is Dead Or Dormant

If your West Texas lawn looks anything like mine right now, you may be wondering whether there is anything left to save.

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After another scorching summer filled with triple-digit temperatures and very little rain, my front and back yards look dead. Many of my neighbors' yards don't look much better, and driving around Abilene, brown and patchy lawns have become a pretty common sight.

In fact, September didn't exactly bring immediate relief. National Weather Service climate data shows Abilene reached 101 degrees on September 1, 103 on September 2 and 106 on September 3.

I'm about ready to break out the rototiller, tear everything up and start all over again. But according to lawn-care experts, that brown grass might not actually be dead.

Is Your Grass Dead Or Dormant?

Lawn Love says drought-stressed grass can go dormant as a way of protecting itself during extended periods of heat and limited moisture.

One quick way to check is the tug test. Gently pull on some of the brown grass. If it remains firmly attached to the soil, the roots and crown may still be alive. If it pulls out easily, that section may actually be dead.

You can also deeply water a small test area and watch for signs of new green growth.

Experts say dormant grass also tends to brown more evenly, while truly dead areas can appear in scattered or irregular patches.

Don't Panic If Your Lawn Comes Back Patchy

Here's another thing I learned: recovering grass doesn't necessarily turn green all at once.

After drought stress, new growth can appear patchy, uneven, and even lighter in color. That's part of the recovery process as the grass begins putting energy back into its roots and shoots.

The important part is the crown, where the roots and shoots meet near the soil surface. If the crown survived the summer, your lawn may have a fighting chance.