How to Fix a Drought-Damaged Lawn

After a hot, dry summer, looking at your brown, crispy lawn can be genuinely distressing. What was once a lush green carpet now resembles a straw-coloured doormat. But before you reach for the rotavator and start again, there is something important you need to know: your lawn is almost certainly not dead.

Grass is remarkably resilient. When drought hits, it enters a state of dormancy to survive. The leaf blades turn brown and appear lifeless, but the crown and root system at the base of each plant remain alive, waiting for rain to trigger recovery.

Is My Lawn Dead or Dormant?

The difference between dead grass and dormant grass is crucial, and thankfully it is easy to check. Pull gently on a brown grass plant. If it comes away easily with no resistance, the roots have died and that patch is genuinely dead. If there is firm resistance and the plant stays anchored, it is dormant and will recover.

You can also look closely at the crown, the point where the grass blade meets the root system at soil level. Even on completely brown lawns, you will often see a hint of green or white living tissue at the crown. This is your lawn waiting to bounce back.

Most UK lawns can survive four to six weeks of drought in dormancy. After that, some grass plants will start to die, typically the weaker specimens or those in particularly exposed areas. But even after a brutal summer, the majority of an established lawn usually survives.

What Not to Do

The natural instinct when you see a brown lawn is to water it heavily and feed it to encourage recovery. Both of these can actually cause more harm than good if done at the wrong time.

During a drought, established lawns should not be watered. It sounds counterintuitive, but occasional light watering does more damage than none at all. It encourages shallow root growth and brings the grass out of protective dormancy only to suffer again when the water stops. Either water deeply and regularly (which is wasteful and often restricted), or let the grass stay dormant. Understanding how and when to water your lawn properly makes a real difference.

Do not feed a dormant brown lawn. Fertiliser needs active growth and moisture to be taken up by the grass. Applied to drought-stressed turf, it just sits on the surface doing nothing or, worse, can burn the already stressed grass when it does rain.

Avoid heavy foot traffic on dormant grass. The crowns are vulnerable and can be damaged by compaction when there is no moisture in the soil to cushion them.

When Rain Returns

Once rain arrives, or drought restrictions are lifted and you can water properly, your lawn will begin to recover naturally. This is the magic moment when patience pays off.

You will see green shoots emerging within days of consistent moisture returning. The recovery is often patchy at first, with some areas greening up faster than others. This is normal. Areas with deeper soil, better root systems, or more shade will recover first.

Once you see active green growth (usually a week or two after rain returns), you can apply a light feed to support recovery. A balanced fertiliser will help grass plants rebuild. This is where good summer lawn care practices help speed things along.

Resume mowing once the grass reaches normal cutting height, but raise your mower setting. Higher mowing reduces stress on recovering grass and helps it rebuild energy reserves. Take no more than a third of the blade length at each cut.

Repairing Patches That Did Not Survive

After a few weeks of recovery, you will have a clearer picture of the damage. Some patches may not come back, and these will need repairing. The best time for this work is early autumn when soil is still warm but rainfall is more reliable.

Start by removing dead material. Light scarifying will pull out dead grass and thatch, creating space for new growth. On heavily damaged lawns, you may be surprised how much dead material comes out.

Aerate any compacted areas to improve drainage and root penetration. Drought-baked soil can become surprisingly compacted, and loosening it helps recovery significantly.

Overseed thin and bare areas with an appropriate grass seed. For autumn repairs, a seed blend designed for cooler soil temperatures will establish better than summer varieties. Water regularly until the seed germinates and establishes.

When Full Renovation Is Needed

If more than half your lawn failed to recover, or if the surviving grass is patchy and thin, a full lawn renovation may be the better option. This involves more intensive scarifying, heavy overseeding, and topdressing to essentially create a new lawn over the existing soil.

Autumn is the ideal time for renovation. Soil temperatures are warm enough for germination, rainfall is usually reliable, and weed competition is lower than spring. A lawn renovated in September can look remarkably good by the following spring.

Building Drought Resistance

Once your lawn has recovered, you can take steps to make it more resilient to future dry spells.

Deep, infrequent watering encourages roots to grow down rather than staying near the surface. Grass with deeper roots can access moisture from lower in the soil profile and survives drought much better.

Maintain a higher mowing height during summer. Longer grass shades the soil, reducing evaporation and keeping roots cooler. It also develops a deeper root system than closely mown turf.

Regular aeration improves water penetration and root depth. Annual autumn aeration makes a significant difference to how your lawn handles dry summers.

Consider overseeding with drought-tolerant grass varieties. Fescues in particular handle dry conditions better than ryegrass-heavy mixes. Gradually introducing these species builds long-term resilience.

For more recovery guides and lawn care advice, see our lawn care hub.