Northern lawns survive on winter beauty rest
A yearly visit from Jack Frost is a common sight for residents in the northern United States and Canada. During his visit, everything freezes from bodies of water to plots of lands. Unfortunately, this also includes the beautiful lawns of homeowners in this vast region. Fortunately, armed with proper knowledge, these lawn enthusiasts can literally protect their turf during these wintry months. To obtain this knowledge, let’s take a peek under the snow bank to see what happens to a typical blade of grass at wintertime.
Pre-winter preparation
Autumn is the ideal time to prepare your lawn for the winter. Keeping your lawn free of fallen leaves and having your soil well fertilized are great preventive measures. During cold weather, grass blades tend to suffocate. Homeowners need to aerate or poke tiny holes in lawns to provide them with needed oxygen, nutrients and moisture. Do this prep work early in the season, since some regions see snowfall as soon as October.
The goal
The year-round survival of your gorgeous lawn is the only goal here. Neglecting to rake, fertilize, aerate and thoroughly water your yard in autumn is a major winterizing no-no. Fortunately, with the right tender loving care, your lawn will thrive year after year.
Winter
Using proper preventive techniques, your yard can survive the harshest winters. These tiny precious blades of grass will reemerge triumphant after being trapped under blankets of snow and ice for months at a time. This season is the most critical period for lawn care. Homeowners in this region can typically expect to see the following wintry sights.
Yard hibernation
The little blades of grass in your yard change colors, like tree leaves, from green to brown as they enter a low-energy state in the winter months. In this state, these blades consume vital nutrients and water at a much slower rate than in warmer seasons. Although they appear dead, these blades are very much alive and will reappear green again in the spring with proper care.
Some yard loss
Even with the best planning and flawless execution, some patches of grass in your yard may not survive the winter season. Some grass loss is realistic, particularly in harsh winters. Despite having done proper aeration in autumn, some blades in extremely cold temperatures fail to get enough needed oxygen and moisture. In spite of being covered for months in frost and snow, these frozen water sources do them no good. Luckily, desiccation only affects a small percentage of yards.
Not all hibernate
Not all glass blades are alike. Some particularly hardy strands known as ‘winter grasses’ continue to grow even during severe winters. Tough varieties like ryegrass and fescue don’t hibernate like other types of grasses. In fact, some lawn aficionados keep their lawns green during the cold weather months by specially buying these winter varieties.
Snow mold
Who knew there was such a thing as snow mold? Although this disease only affects lawns after the snow melts, there are sound strategies available to reduce its risk. Even so, don’t let the fear of this lawn fungus prevent you from fertilizing your yard as you should in mid-November or early December.
Spring report card
This is when you know if your lawn has made the grade or not. Don’t grade your yard or your efforts too harshly or prematurely. Some winters are worse than others and should be graded on a curve. Here’s a simple spring to-do checklist.
Remove large twigs and branches from your lawn.
Add new seeds and fertilize your lawn.
Reseed and treat lawn patches.
Remove unsightly weeds.
Seek professional lawn help
If you're unsure about anything covered here. Contact landscape professionals in your area for assistance. Lawn care is a year-round commitment, even for those in the northern US and Canada. Professionals are able to set up an individualized lawn care program for your yard’s particular needs. They will recommend the latest in fall preventive care techniques as well as the best in revitalizing methods for the spring.