Does Grass Grow at Night?

Does grass grow at night? Yes, grass grows at night. That’s because it absorbs sunlight during the day and converts it into energy. The grass then uses the energy to grow at night or during cloudy days without sunlight.

Grass grows at an average rate of 0.06 to 0.2 inches per day, or two to six inches per month. Different factors influence the growth rate. However, there’re ways to boost it.

Which factors influence the growth rate at night, and how can you help your grass grow faster, during the day or at night?

Factors Affecting Growth of Grass at Night

Besides the absorbed sunlight, which promotes growth at night, cooler night temperatures and increased humidity also support grass growth.

Other factors which influence whether the grass will grow at night include:

Length of Darkness

Even though grass grows at night after absorbing sunlight during the day, that’s not the case during winter when temperatures are low.

If the period of darkness or lack of sunlight continues for more than six hours, which is the case during winter, growth will slow down due to a lack of an energy source.

Four hours of sunlight will facilitate grass growth.

However, in summer, long periods of sunlight during the day and cooler temperatures at night provide the right environment for grass to grow at night.

Amount of Water

Overwatering may slow the rate of growth at night. The plant can withstand excess water when the temperature is warm during the day, but at night, cooler temperatures and excess humidity makes the plant struggle to grow.

Warm season grass like Bermuda requires less water and may struggle to grow at night if overwatered. Give it 1/2 – ¼ inch of water once in three weeks.

Cool season grass like Bluegrass needs water more often, at least four or five days a week. Plants process water during the day, so if low-season grass lacks water, it won’t grow at night, even when the temperature is right.

Artificial Light

Does grass grow at night with artificial light? Artificial light promotes growth compared to grass in total darkness. Sunlight has the correct amount of blue and red wavelengths for plant growth, but artificial lights also contain varying amounts of blue and red wavelengths.

If you have fluorescent lights or incandescent lights illuminating your lawn at night, they can promote grass growth.

Incandescent light has a red tint that helps grass in its early stages to grow. Fluorescent lights support blade growth and increase grass thickness.

Artificial light has been known to support plant growth. That’s why gardeners use horticultural grow lights to grow plants.

How Can You Help Grass Grow?

So, when does grass grow most? Grass grows most during sunrise. A sudden growth spurt may occur when the grass is “rushing” to replenish its energy after a night in the cold.

How you take care of your grass determines how well it grows day and night. You can follow these guidelines.

Apply Fertilizer

Does grass grow at night if you apply fertilizer? If your grass lacks nitrogen and phosphorus, it will grow slowly. Fertilizer promotes growth, but over-application stunts it, so you must find a balance.

Fertilizers give your grass different nutrients in different amounts and different release periods.

The different nutrients function in these ways:

• Nitrogen gives the lush green color, thickens the grass, and gives the shoots density.
• Phosphorus helps grass convert other nutrients into building blocks needed by the grass.
• Potassium strengthens cell walls and helps grass withstand diseases like fungus and extreme weather seasons like drought.

Avoid Watering at Night

Watering during the day has no issues, but watering at night causes the grass to retain moisture.

Tiny pores in the leaves, called stomata, usually release water vapor from the grass, but if the leaves are saturated with water, the water vapor can’t escape.

Wet foliage attracts fungi and bacteria that cause the accumulation of toxins. These toxins eat away at the grass and limit it from growing well.

Mow the Correct Way

Mowing too short renders grass unable to produce food. A low-mowing height decreases the root system and prevents the plant from absorbing sufficient nutrients needed for growth. Cut no more than a 1/3 of the grass blade’s height.

Mowing with a blunt blade tears the grass and causes white or brown portions on your lawn. A torn plant can’t grow well. So, mow using a sharp blade.

Mowing too frequently is another mistake people often make. Let the grass grow longer because longer grass blades prevent water evaporation, causing your grass to grow well.

Supplement Your Grass’ Wavelength Needs

If you live in an area with minimum sunlight, your grass may not absorb the energy needed for growth at night. You might need to help the grass grow.

You can achieve this by using fluorescent and incandescent light to provide red and blue wavelengths.

Commercial growing lights incorporate the right amount of blue and red wavelengths. If your area receives little sunlight, you can use commercial lights during your grass’s development stage.

Fun Fact: Scientifically, bamboo is classified as grass, although it’s confused for a tree. It’s also the fastest-growing grass in the world, at a rate of 39.4 inches a day during its growing season. Clumping bamboos grow faster at night than during the day.

So, Does Grass Grow at Night?

Grass does grow at night. Grass absorbs sunlight during the day, converts it into energy, stores it, and uses it to grow at night.

Factors like the presence of artificial light, the length of darkness, and the amount of water you give grass determine whether it grows at night.

You can help your grass grow well during the night and day by applying fertilizer, mowing it correctly, and avoiding watering it at night to avoid attracting fungi that hinder growth.