Brown lawns lie dormant, not dead

I have written about lawn seeding several times, but the subject still seems to be on the minds of many gardeners. I am writing this column Sunday. Even today I have had three individuals mention the problems they are having with their lawn. It is "dead." Or "It is so brown it is dead." Or "The only thing growing in my lawn is weeds."

Because there is such interest in lawns, I thought I should write about them again. First of all, most lawns are not dead. They are just dormant. This is nature's way of protecting grass plants from dying during a drought such as the one we are experiencing.

Nature knows that periods of drought are going to occur. Deciduous trees and shrubs lose their leaves during periods of extreme drought. Because moisture is lost through leaves during transpiration, the loss of leaves results in the reduction of moisture loss.

Because grass plants are primarily leaves, the loss of those leaves would probably result in death. Therefore nature has devised a way for grasses to withstand drought. They make a physiological change and go dormant. This way they conserve moisture during a drought.

"How can you tell if a lawn is dormant or dead?" is a question I often hear. Dormant grass turns a straw brown color. Dead grass usually turns gray. The color difference is quite distinct if you look carefully.

These gray patches are usually due to a disease that has gotten into the lawn. In our area diseases can be devastating on tall fescue lawns. If you find that your turf-type tall fescue lawn has gray patches in it, then you should plan on reseeding this fall. If your turf-type tall fescue lawn only has tan brown areas, then don't worry, it will come back when the rains begin this fall.

I have also found gray areas in lawns that have soils that are only made of clay or soils that are laying over rock that is just below the soil surface. The stress over a long period of time is such that in both cases, death of the lawn area is likely.

If you find areas in your lawn that have that gray color, you should plan on reseeding them this fall. Don't wait until next spring, or even until November to do the reseeding. Do it now, or at least sometime in September. If you wait until October or November, your chances for having an outstanding lawn this fall are diminished.

To reseed, follow these simple steps: Apply turf fescue and perennial rye to the affected area at the rate of five pounds of seed per thousand square feet. Apply bluegrass seed at the rate of three pounds of seed per thousand square feet.

In addition, apply new lawn starter fertilizer, such as a 9-13-7, at the rate suggested on the container. If you don't use this fertilizer, use one where the first number, nitrogen, is smaller than the second number, phosphorus. Phosphorus will encourage new grass plants to put their energy into producing roots and not shoots.

Next, run a verticutter over the seeded area in two different directions. This cultural process will put the seed into the ground. Seed sewn into the soil will germinate much better than seed just thrown on top of the ground.

Finally, get out the sprinklers and initially let in "rain" until the seeded area is so wet that it is mushy. From then on, water the area every day until the new grass seedlings have emerged and are tall enough to mow.

When the new grass is tall enough to mow, mow it. This practice will encourage new seedlings to mature faster and will then be able to endure cold stress this winter.

Don't worry about the weeds in your lawn. Get a good lush and thick turf established. You can deal with the weeds later.

I hope this helps you when making a decision as to whether to reseed your lawn this fall. Remember gray is dead, and tan is dormant.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.<I>