Winter Lawn Care

With lawns covered in snow they seem a bit ‘out of sight out of mind’, but that shouldn’t be the case! Here are a couple things to consider when it comes to your lawn in winter.

To prevent winter damage it’s important to minimize walking and other heavy traffic over your dormant lawn. Blades of grass have an ingenious way to survive the cold. Ice crystals will form between the cells, protecting them from damage. Cool, right!? The pressure of walking and heavy traffic on your lawn can cause the ice crystals to pierce the very cell walls they’re trying to protect. Although walking on your lawn probably won’t kill it, it may cause unsightly dead patches in the spring. The weight of heavy machinery can do even more damage, not only will it compact the soil, but can also damage the delicate crowns, which may kill your lawn in those places. Try to leave your lawn clean going into the winter. Objects left or fallen on your lawn during the winter can create dead spots. Heavier objects like tree limbs, can suffocate grass blades and compact the soil. In the spring, the affected areas will be thinner, stunted, or dead. Hopefully, you raked up the autumn leaves in the fall, but if you didn’t, we’ll remind you this coming season! Another tip is to lightly rake matted areas this spring where heavy snow cover was present.