Understanding Lawn Dormancy

Have you noticed that your grass starts to look yellow or tan as winter approaches? Some lawns can even start to look like they’re completely dead. If you just raised your hand and said, “That’s my lawn,” we have good news. Your lawn isn’t dead. It’s just sleeping. This is called dormancy. Today, we’re going to look at lawn dormancy, discuss what you need to know, and explain what you need to do this time of year to keep your lawn healthy. As always, your Nutri-Green team is here to answer questions about Tulsa lawn care. Connect with us at any time. We’re happy to help you directly.

Fall leaves and lawn dormancy

The best way to describe lawn dormancy is to compare it with something everyone knows something about—fall leaves. Every year, the leaves turn bright colors and fall off the branches. But we don’t worry too much about that because we all know what happens in the spring: New leaves take their place.

During the summer months, the leaves of a tree appear green because of the chlorophyll in them. Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis, which converts sunlight to chemical energy. In the fall, there is less sunlight, and the tree begins to draw nutrients from the leaves, bringing in the chlorophyll first. This is why the green color goes away. When the leaves lose their nutrients, they eventually break off and fall to the ground. Here are a few reasons why:

Maintaining leaves requires energy, particularly in winter. Cold weather slows down the transportation of nutrients from the root system to the leaves, and shedding them reduces the tree's energy needs. So, the storage of nutrients and the shedding of leaves help the tree battle cold, frost, and snow during the winter months.

Your lawn requires energy to stay green. Just like a tree, it responds to the reduced sunlight in the fall and starts to conserve its energy for winter. It does this by slowing its growth and conserving essential nutrients. During this slowing process, it reduces chlorophyll production. This causes the grass blades to lose their green coloration. Some grass blades may die off, but most survive and are revitalized in spring. But this stress isn’t good for a lawn. If you want your lawn to recover quickly in the spring, you need to take appropriate steps during the fall.

Helping your lawn ease into dormancy

There are a few facts you should know as winter approaches:

You should raise your mower cutting height slightly in the fall. In fall, the sunlight is slowly being reduced, and tall grass can absorb more sunlight. Doing this will promote stronger root growth.
As the growth of your lawn slows and eventually stops, you need to reduce how much you mow.
Long grass can mat down and trap moisture, creating an environment for disease. Shorter grass is far more resistant to snow and ice damage.

It is important to keep in mind that different grasses handle dormancy differently. Let’s take a quick look.

Cool-season grasses
Fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and ryegrass are examples of cool-season grasses. These grasses do well in cooler temperatures and remain active longer. They can stay green in mild winters but go dormant in extreme cold.

Warm-season grasses
Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine are examples of warm-season grasses. These grass types do well in warm temperatures but will go dormant quickly when temperatures drop and will look brown all winter.

Your grass has special requirements to maintain strong growth and a healthy appearance. Let’s talk about how your Nutri-Green lawn care team helps your grass get what it needs.

The support you need for your Tulsa lawn

When you sign up for a lawn care plan with Nutri-Green, your lawn gets what it needs to stay healthy and as green as possible all year long. Here are a few ways we help:

We perform a 21-point lawn analysis.
We apply routine treatments that are family- and pet-friendly.
We apply pre-emergent weed control to address weeds before they appear.
We apply appropriate fertilizers based on grass type and soil pH testing.
We aerate your lawn to provide pathways for water, air, and nutrients.
We apply overseeding to thicken your turf where it’s needed.
We provide a lawn improvement summary.
We offer a worry-free guarantee.

Fall is a critical time for your lawn. We apply the science of lawn care to help you maintain a full and green lawn that is the envy of your neighbors. All you have to do is mow it and water it as necessary. It pays to have a lawn care expert manage all of the many factors that can impact your lawn, particularly in the fall as the cold temperatures of winter approach.

Call or email to speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable service team members. We’d love to speak to you about your lawn care needs. We are your local lawn care experts in Tulsa and the surrounding region. Reach out today!