As the Midwest continues to experience heavy snowfall, ice accumulation, and strong winds, most homeowners are choosing to stay tucked away indoors—at least until spring.
Your grass, however, doesn’t have this luxury. And though you may be tempted to put lawn care at the back of your mind until the ground thaws, the truth is there are still certain tasks you’ll want to complete to ensure your grass is protected against snow piles, rock salt, and heavy foot traffic.
What Happens to Grass in Winter
For fellow Minnesotas, your grass becomes dormant in the winter. During this “sleep-like” state, your grass is no longer growing, but instead, is using its energy to conserve water and essential nutrients.
Even if you live in an area that doesn’t get too much snow during the winter, if outdoor temperatures drop below 40° F, you’ll probably notice that your once green landscape is now brown. This can actually happen during the hot, dry summer months, too. But don’t worry, because most often your grass will return to its green state once weather conditions improve—as long as you take the proper precautions.
Do I Need to Care for My Grass in Winter?
If your lawn is covered in snow fall, it might seem like there’s not a whole lot you can do to give it some TLC. But even during the winter season, our grass still needs care and attention.
Hopefully, you followed our blog post on how to prepare your lawn for winter, and found a few useful tips on treating this area before the first frost of the year.
Winter Lawn Care Tips
Now that the winter has officially set in, there are a few more tasks you can complete to ensure your lawn is fresh, green and vibrant come spring.
Reduce Lawn Traffic
We know it’s fun to watch the kiddos play in the snow and build tunnels, but if you really want to keep your lawn protected while it’s in its dormant state, try to limit foot traffic on your grass as much as possible.
You could designate an area for the kids to play, or even better, visit your local park or school area to go sledding and play in the snow vs. doing it at home.
Keep Lawn Clear of Equipment
Hopefully, you already did this, but if you’ve left any lawn furniture or equipment out—even fire logs for a wood-burning stove—make sure you store it safely in the garage or shed. This helps avoid added moisture forming in concentrated areas, which can damage your grass.
Watch Out for Salt
No one wants to deal with an icy driveway or sidewalk. So, applying de-icing products that contain salt might sound like a great idea at first. But if this substance leeches into your yard, it can be harmful to your grass, causing it to dry out or develop drainage issues.
If you’re using a product to help eliminate black ice from accumulating on your property, make sure you keep these products far away from your turf. This includes shoveling snow from your driveway onto your lawn.
More often, this snow contains the de-icing mixture, or even debris, which will seep into your grass.
It’s hard to know where your lawn begins and your driveway ends with all that snow coverage, so we recommend placing clear markers around your yard. This way you can avoid shoveling debris or salt onto it or shoveling up pieces of sod in the process.
Don’t Pile Snow
We know this next tip is a bit of a challenge, but if you can avoid piling snow onto your lawn after shoveling, you’ll help minimize soil compaction.
Experts recommended spreading the shoveled snow, if you have no other area to put it in, to help reduce compaction and mold formation.
Start Planning for Spring
Maybe the last thing on your mind is spring planting and gardening season, but if you’re like us, you’re probably looking forward to it! So, why wait to get a headstart on your goals for your lawn, once the ground thaws?
It’s Never Too Early To Start Planning for Spring!
Perhaps one of your lawn goals this year is finding a natural solution to its annual care and maintenance. If you need help getting the process started, we can help!
Our team has just the approach to kickstart your organic lawn treatment, so you enjoy the benefits of a naturally fed lawn and knowing that you’re doing your part to improve our environment.
To learn more, contact us today! The sooner you start planning, the closer you are to enjoying a beautiful, natural landscape.
