By Kelsey Deckert, horticulture agent

NDSU Extension - Burleigh County

Just last week, I was visiting with a concerned homeowner about his brown lawn and whether he should mow now, since weeds are coming up.

Some homeowners strive for a lush, green, manicured lawn. High summer temperatures can frustrate homeowners who take great pride in the orderly appearance of their lawns.

For the past month, we have had some record-high temperatures and very little rain. Homeowners have been concerned about their lush green lawns going brown in a real hurry. The question I always get is, “What can I do about my dying, brown lawn?”

Rest assured, your lawn isn’t dead or dying; it simply has gone dormant in these hot temperatures. We have cool-season grasses in our state, and it's their natural response to heat. Basically, our lawns are taking a nice little nap for the time being. Once our temperatures start to cool down and stay cooler, we will see our lawns wake up and start to turn green again.

Here are some dos and don’ts of lawn care in this summer heat:

• Do change the expectations of your lawn during this period of time. It is okay to have a brown lawn for this temporary period.
• Don’t fertilize your lawn right now, as it can damage it. Wait until around Labor Day, which is the best time of the year to fertilize your lawn.
• Do water infrequently and deeply if you choose to irrigate. You will want to give your lawn about 1 inch of water a week.
• Do water in the morning to avoid losing water to evaporation.
• Don’t mow your lawn if it is dormant, as that also can cause harm to your lawn.
• Do minimize traffic on your lawn, and wait until temperatures get cooler.

For more information about lawn care, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/extension-county-offices.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 12, 2026

Source: Kelsey Deckert, 701-221-6865, kelsey.j.deckert@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu