Lawn check

Dormant vs. dead grass: how to tell the difference

Brown summer grass does not always mean your lawn is dead. Use these signs to tell whether your lawn is dormant and heat stressed, or whether it needs to be reseeded.

Dormant heat-stressed grass with some green still visible Dormant & Heat Stressed Dead brown grass that needs reseeding Dead Grass
What it means: Your lawn is protecting itself. This is normal, and it is alive. What it means: This section of lawn needs to be reseeded. Heat Defense Pack will not reverse it.
What to do: Water half an inch every other week to keep it alive. Use Heat Defense Pack before dormancy or as your lawn is coming out of dormancy to support recovery and build resilience going forward. What to do: Reseed in the fall when temps cool. In the meantime, protect the rest of your lawn with a custom lawn plan.
  • Uniform browning across the whole lawn
  • Grass blades are dry but still rooted firmly in the ground
  • Crown, or base of the grass blade, still has a hint of green
  • Brown came on gradually during a dry, hot stretch
  • Grass pulls up easily because roots have let go
  • Crowns are dry, brittle, and completely brown
  • Patchy and irregular, not uniform
  • No improvement after watering
  • Two bottles of lawnbright fertilizer on a stone path near a brown lawn

    Shop Heat Defense Pack

    Lawnbright's one-two summer punch for protecting your lawn against heat stress so it comes back green.

  • a hand holds a lawn care app against a dormant grass

    Ask Wilson for a Free Diagnosis

    Not sure why your lawn is looking brown? Ask Lawnbright's AI assistant Wilson. Upload a photo to get free advice.
Two bottles of Lawnbright plant nutrients labeled 'Black Gold' and 'Sea Green' on a white background.

Lawnbright

Heat Defense Pack

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Person using a lawn care product on a grassy area

The Heat Defense Pack

Support your lawn through heat stress and help it recover after drought.

Heat Defense Pack works best as a preventative, applied before or during hot, dry stretches to support a heat stressed lawn and give it the best shot at a strong recovery.

Its natural formulation supports grass growth and improves nutrient uptake, helping build resilient soil and turf that can stand up to heat stress.

Use it alongside your lawn care subscription and every-other-week watering routine to keep your lawn alive and primed to bounce back when temps cool.

  • 💧 Supports dormant lawns through heat and drought

  • 🌱 Builds resilience for a stronger recovery when temps fall

  • 🌿 Natural ingredients, safe for the whole family
Before and after comparison of a lawn treated with Lawnbright, showing a significantly greener lawn.

How to Use Heat Defense

All Lawnbright products come with a hose-end sprayer. Simply hook the product to your garden hose and spray it on your lawn – no special equipment needed.

  1. Apply Sea Green in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid heat stress.
  2. Apply Black Gold 1-2 weeks later.
  3. Water in thoroughly within 6-12 hours using 1/4 inch of water from irrigation or rainfall.
A green lawn in a suburban neighborhood

I love these products. My lawn has never looked better - I can see the difference within 2 days of application.

— Ryan B.
Woman holding two bottles of Weed Wipeout and Micro Boost in a residential area.

The lawns that survive summer have something in common.

Healthy soil holds moisture longer, feeds grass during stress, and builds the deep root systems that let grass go dormant and come back strong. Most lawns that struggle in summer are fighting against soil that can't support them.

The Lawnbright Custom Plan is built around that idea. Treatments go in at the right time to build soil health across every season, so by the time summer heat hits, your lawn is ready for it.

We start with a soil test and customize each shipment to what your lawn needs right now.

  • A custom pack shipped each season with nutrients, soil conditioners & more.
  • Free soil test.
  • Support from our Turf Team and access to our app and AI lawn assistant, Wilson.
  • People- and pet-safe lawn care products with no harsh chemicals.
Build Your Lawnbright Plan