Share this Story : The Sarnia Observer Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

GARDEN CLIPPINGS: Why does grass turn brown?

Please don’t drive past my house and take notice of the grass. It looks awful. 

Our front yard grass normally looks just fine. In fact, it looks better than most in our neighbourhood. 

GARDEN CLIPPINGS: Why does grass turn brown? Back to video

I fertilize faithfully and add water only when needed. The mower is set at its highest setting, helping to keep the ground shaded, cooler and preventing the soil from drying out too quickly.     

Weeds in our summer lawn are few and far between. Dandelions and crabgrass can’t find a home in our lawn because the grass is healthy and dense.   

But today if there were a neighborhood contest on who has the brownest grass, I would be the clear winner. And when weather warms up to trigger new growth, my grass will be the last to green up.   

Brown grass in late winter is perfectly normal and is no cause for alarm. Already in November of last year, grass entered dormancy and stopped growing. Winter weather and cold soil temperatures caused growth to cease, and leaves began to lose their colour.  

The process of grass entering the dormant stage is healthy because plant nutrients are stored in the roots where they are needed to survive winter. Top growth begins to turn yellow and brown and by March, grass looks worse than ever.   

To make matters worse, those with the thickest grass have the brownest grass simply because there are more grass blades that have gone dormant. In spring when growth resumes, the thickest grass will be the last to turn from brown to green.   

The winter of 2025-2026 has brought more brown grass than normal due to our severe winter that has given us colder temperatures and more snow.   

April’s warmer weather and spring rains will soon cause grass to kickstart with new shoots coming from healthy roots. Once the grass has been cut a few times, the brown stems will disappear and will be replaced by lush green growth.   

Turf care experts suggest that if grass growth is sluggish in spring, put down a recommended lawn food that contains a high level of nitrogen. Blends such as 24-4-16 or 32-3-3 will cause grass to spread and send up new shoots from the root zone.   

If your lawn is damaged with bare patches because of grub activity or fungus, it would be wise to top dress with a thin layer of garden soil and recommended grass seed blend.

Share this Story : The Sarnia Observer Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

© Sarnia Observer