The lack of rain in the Hudson Valley is scorching lawns, but there is something you can do about it if you act quickly.

A long stretch of high temperatures and no rain has caused many Hudson Valley lawns to go from green to brown. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any significant rain in the near future, so unless you act now, your lawn may be doomed for good.

According to Purdue University's turfgrass specialist Aaron Patton, your brown, crunchy lawn may not be dead just yet. It turns out that grass needs at least one inch of rain a week to stay green, but can actually survive on less.

Here in the Hudson Valley, many homeowners are watching their lawns slowly turn from green to brown. Those stiff, colorless blades of grass are a telltale sign that your turf has gone into hibernation. Yes, the plant is still alive, but the leaves are dead. If left without water for a month, the grass will begin to die at the roots and no amount of water will be able to bring it back.

Patton suggests giving your lawn at least one inch of water a week to keep it green. If it's already browned, the grass should come back in a couple of weeks if it continues to get enough hydration.

It's important to give your grass a deep soak at once instead of occasional light waterings. That way, the roots will be able to grow deeper making your lawn thicker and more healthy. Patton also recommends watering in the early morning. Applying a soak to your lawn in the evening could invite insects and pets or encourage disease to your grass.

With scattered thunderstorms forecast over the next week, it's important not to rely on quick storms to give your lawn enough water to survive. While it may seem like your grass is getting soaked, many of these storms don't dump nearly enough water to revive an already dormant lawn. Steady watering for three days a week should be enough to restore your grass to a bright, green color within a couple of weeks.

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