How is my lawn going to survive this brutal winter?

I am sitting inside, bundled up to avoid this brutal arctic weather and wondering how is my lawn going to do this spring after such a harsh winter?

The good thing is most lawns in the northeast are cold resistant and are very resilient. With that being said there are a handful of additional stresses that can impact your lawn over winter, such as snow and ice load, damage of the grass blades, debris and road salts.

Let’s look into those issues and what you need to do about it to help our lawns have a fast start in the spring.

So just curl up with your cozy blanket and a warm beverage and read what future steps you can take.

Snow load and how it can hurt your grass.

Crazy that such a natural thing as snow can cause damage to a lawn. The natural occurrence of the snow and thaw cycle is not the main culprit for most. But snow that is allowed to build up in one area or an area that doesn’t thaw at the same rate of others can lead to fungal disease, such as gray or pink snow mold. This happens most frequently where there is an abundance of shoveled snow and does not go through the freeze, thaw process that the rest of the lawn does. When clearing walks and driveways, try to disperse the snow evenly, snow blowers do a great job of this, but if shoveling or plowing, do your best to disperse the piles. If excess piles exist when the rest of the lawn thaws, try removing or spreading the piles to aid in the thaw. With the elimination of this build up, you will give your lawn a better chance to avoid any fungal disease issues.

Damage to brittle grass blades and how to avoid it.

With the harsh cold the grass blades are susceptible to damage and excessive traffic should be avoided. I see many people park or drive their vehicles on the lawn thinking that the ground is frozen and grass is dormant, so it must be OK. With the grass blades being brittle from the excess cold and the ground being so frozen, walking or driving on it, can cause the blades to crack or worse, completely break away where it meets the ground. Between the grass blades being brittle from the cold, there is also a risk of desiccation (lack of water uptake) caused from prolonged cold and frozen ground, where the grass cannot uptake any moisture. When there is snow on the ground, the grass is protected from drying winds (desiccation factor) and foot traffic. So, when the ground is clear, but still extremely cold out, avoid walking on the grass or parking vehicles on it.

Lawn debris left over from fall and the impact it has.

Lawn debris left over from the autumn is another common factor. As winter approaches, many people don’t do the final fall cleanup and leave some spots of leaves and branches on the ground. When the debris is left to overwinter, it can cause a multitude of problems. I am sure we have all seen what happens when you leave a hose or kiddie pool on the grass for a day in the summer, only to pick it up and see all the grass is yellow. This is a mild outcome, compared to what can happen with leaf debris is left on the lawn over the winter. This debris can cause fungal growth, eliminate light or oxygen to the grass blades. Both of these issues can lead to loss of turf in those areas. Be sure to take stock of your lawn between thanksgiving and winter to see if it needs a quick once over to remove any debris and you will set your lawn up for an easier winter.

The toxins left behind by road salts and what to do about it.

Grass located close to roads or other surfaces that use road salt can be impacted by the chemicals. Road salt is made up of a chemical compound known as sodium chloride and when it dissolves it breaks down into the individual elements. When the road salt gets into the grass and dissolves, it leaches into the soil and can build up. In the spring the grass can uptake these chemicals and cause the plant to dehydrate and eventually die. Try to avoid excess road salts near your grass, or avoid shoveling snow from the road onto your lawn. If this does happen, heavy watering in the spring can help displace the sodium in the soil.

With these 4 topics covered, your grass will be off to a good spring start.

With these four issues eliminated or at least reduced you will give your lawn a better chance to bounce right back in the spring. Each one of these tasks can have a resounding impact on your lawn and not only can give your lawn a better chance to make it smoothly through the winter, but will reduce your spring time repairs. With a stronger grass in the spring, you also reduce many of your issues with weed seeds, by having a thicker lawn that will out compete those nasty weeds. So tackle these issues as you see them throughout the winter season and read our upcoming “5 tips to kick start your lawn in the spring” article. If you follow these tips and the spring tips, you will set yourself and your lawn up for a wonderful spring and summer season.