During the last few weeks, we’ve had a few nights with near-freezing temperatures. You may have seen frost on the ground in the morning. This has resulted in temporary browning of some or all portions of the lawn. Most common is an irregular pattern of browning. But don’t be alarmed, your turf is not dead.
We don’t experience long-term freezing temperatures in Florida that kill the grass completely. It’s resilient but recovery can take time. Depending on the severity of the temperatures, recovery times can vary widely from house to house, even on the same street. The root system of your lawn is still alive, since we don’t experience the ground freezing, and it will start to produce new growth.
Fenced-in backyards typically will see less damage than the front yard. It’s common for the front to appear worse than the back. If the back is surrounded by trees or wooded areas, it may receive less-noticeable browning.
The new growth may take longer than desired this time of year because of the cooler weather. Some winters are warmer than others, so each year is different from the previous one.