Is Winter Grass Dead or Dormant?

When the weather turns cold, the grass observably changes and turns brown. When leaves lose their color they shrivel up and decompose. Is the brown grass dead? Why it doesn’t decompose? Why do these changes happen? Through our investigation, we found that as the temperature goes down, grass goes dormant due to a process called desiccation. This process occurs in cold and windy areas such as Iowa! Cold wind causes the grass blades to lose moisture which causes the grass to give its brown appearance without decomposing.

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

• What might cause the grass to get to this state?
• What does a plant; such as grass, need in order to live?

Classroom Suggestions

• Students could: 
  • Study of the change of seasons 
    • What type of changes occur during the winter, how does this affect grass/other plants? 
  • Study of plant life 
    • What do plants need in order to live or appear alive? 
    • Do an investigation to observe grass during the winter months and compare it to what it looks like during other months. 
    • Have discussions about the changes noticed and why students think they happened.
    • Discuss the process of desiccation and whether the grass is actually dormant.

Related Resources

• What Happens to Your Lawn During Winter? | Virginia Green: This article explains what happens to your lawn in the cold of winter.
• How to Tell the Difference Between Dead and Dormant Grass | Master Lawn Inc.: This resource explains how to tell the difference between dead and dormant grass.