“It’s tiiime!”

December has begun, Christmas is approaching, Mariah Carey is defrosting, and winter is coming. And here’s when many homeowners and lawn lovers start worrying, and not just because of Christmas decorations, but because of their lawn’s health.

During the cold season, grass requires less maintenance, especially in Texas, as the conditions are not so extreme. But that doesn’t mean that your turf doesn’t need attention.

When temperatures start dropping, your grass might go dormant, and it may look like it’s dead. And many people doubt if their lawn is just “sleeping” or is actually frozen to death, like Jack Torrance in “The Shining”.

That’s why Purple Care, lawn care professionals in Texas, will tell us how to identify if our lawns are actually dormant, and provide tips to protect the grass until warmer temperatures return.

What Happens to Your Lawn In Winter?

When winter arrives, your grass goes into dormancy. It’s almost as if it were just sleeping, like when bears hibernate.

But your turf is not lazy: it goes dormant as a method of defense when the temperature drops. During this state, your grass can store water and nutrients to survive with less sunlight and low temperatures. During dormancy, your turf also grows more slowly.

Warm-season grasses, typical of Texas, such as Bermuda and St Augustine, enter dormancy with temperatures under 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius), while cool-season grasses go dormant with temperatures below 45 degrees (7 degrees Celsius).

You will notice that your turf is dormant when it turns brown and patchy. Yep, you might think it’s dead, but actually it’s just in protection mode. If you want to check if your grass is peacefully resting or “resting in peace”, continue reading the next section.

Dead or Alive?

Before you think the worst has happened to your grass, you can verify the status of your lawn by paying attention to how it looks and running some tests.

1) Appearance

First of all, when grass is dormant, you will see that it turns brown or yellowish. Warm-season grasses can show some patterns of greens and browns when going dormant, but you will see a consistent pattern.

Dead grass looks more brown in general, even grayish, and it breaks easily, while dormant grass is still firm.

There’s a phenomenon in Texas usually called “unsynchronized dormancy“. When temperatures change from warm to cold, it might cause confusion to your lawn: “Should I go to sleep or not?”

Therefore, you will see sections of the grass brown, and some others will still be green. It usually solves on its own. On the contrary, if there’s some pest or disease, you will notice circular patterns or paths.

2) The Tug Test

If you’re still not sure, a simple way of checking your grass condition is the tug test. You just have to pull some grass out.

You will know that your lawn is dormant if it resists being plucked out and the roots are white. However, if it pulls out easily, that means it is dead or is about to die.

3) Watering

When warmer days approach and the grass starts growing again, you can verify if it’s alive by watering.

If the grass reacts to water, it will turn green again, clearly showing it’s alive and kicking. But if the grass shows no response, it is probably dead.

Extra Tips During Texas Winter

Even though your lawn has stopped growing and is not active, it is still alive.

And it might not require as much care as during other seasons, but it is important to avoid making mistakes, so that when spring comes, it goes back to its normal and vibrant green.

Some things to take care of:

• Clean Leaves: Leaves can trap moisture, encouraging the development of diseases.
• Water When Necessary: Even though you should water less in winter, watering every two or three weeks can be helpful. Don’t water if it’s freezing cold!
• Control Weeds: Weeds can still appear in winter, so watch out for them.
• Avoid Traffic: Humans or vehicles stepping on your grass when it’s dormant can cause stress and prevent it from recovering properly.

If you take care of your lawn properly, it will survive the winter and revive green and beautiful when spring returns.