Let’s say you go on vacation, there’s a drought while you’re away, and – oops! – you forgot to get someone (us, say) to tend your grass! When you get back, your greenery has turned into crisp, brown, burnt grass, and you’ve just about written off your lawn for the summer.
Don’t worry! The summer heat may have brought your grass down, but it doesn’t mean it’s out. It’s very likely your grass has gone dormant. You can still rescue your grass so it’s passable for the rest of the warm weather and stronger next spring.
Water The Grass 
It sounds obvious, but don’t let your brown lawn stay brown. Give it water to green it up, really soaking it deep. Water it in the early morning, when evaporation won’t steal valuable moisture. You should be sprinkling an inch of water on the lawn every week.
With dormant grass, only irrigate if you’re planning to do it regularly for the remainder of the summer season
If There Are Dead Spots, Rake Out The Debris
This debris is called “thatch”, and it’s very important to remove it during a drought or when your lawn is suffering from the heat. If you can, aerate the lawn after this step; the little holes will provide better moisture deep to the roots.
Lay Down New Seed
If it’s far beyond dormancy and much of your lawn is dead, consider reseeding. Clear out the thatch and spread the seeds with a rotary spreader. Press the seed into the dirt and keep the area moist. Use a starter fertilizer to help the seeds grow, but make sure you don’t use you much! You could burn the grass even further and make it harder to get your lawn green again.
Add Compost
It improves the soil condition and the health of the grass. Add a quarter-inch or so 1 – 2 times per year.
Mow Responsibly
Make sure your lawnmower’s blades are sharp, the setting is high, and leave the clippings on your grass – they’re nitrogen rich and can help retain moisture!
Repair Later In The season
It’s best to repair the lawn when it’s cooler out, so late summer and fall are the best times. This way, your grass is no longer under stress and there’s a smaller chance of doing further damage.
The best advice? Don’t give up. Doing nothing for your grass will harm your lawn in the future, leading to costly resodding. It’s a process that could take up to 4 weeks if you’re diligent, maybe longer, so don’t throw in the towel. Call Green Ninja if you need help solving your burnt grass problem!
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