Care Tips As Winter Transitions To Spring

Winter weather presents a variety of threats to our lawns, and this year’s freeze/thaw cycles are hard on lawn roots. As the snow melts and the ground thaws, will your lawn turn green again? When should you turf the brown and when should you wait it out?

Be Patient

As soon as the warm breezes arrive, garden and lawn enthusiasts itch to be outside doing – doing anything. Avoid walking on lawn that’s not fully thawed. That moist top layer may cover a still frozen root system and walking on the grass may shear off the roots from the plant above and significantly slow new growth this spring.

Take the time to clean up any fallen debris from trees or melting snow, forgotten toys, pet messes, or items in your yard displaced by kids playing or winter storms. Removing these obstacles now means your lawn gets the best start at growing in evenly.

Identify Areas Of Need

Grass near high traffic areas like driveways and paths will be hard hit. You might consider protecting those delicate areas until they are fully thawed and dried out. Where did you pile snow from your walkways and driveways? Consider spreading out the remaining pile of snow so that all areas of your lawn thaw consistently. Is there one part of your lawn where water is pooling or melting snow has trouble draining? In the coming month, you’ll want to add soil and even out these low-lying areas for spring reseeding. Decide if there is a better place to pile snow that won’t damage your lawn.

Salt may be a lifesaver on icy roads but it’s no friend to your lawn. The areas along curbs and streets may need special attention or reseeding. Have a city-maintained sidewalk in your front yard? Those sidewalk plows can do lot of damage unintentionally. These are all areas that you might want to flag for special attention in the coming months.

Dead or Sleeping

It’s disheartening to see the snow melt and be left with a withered brown lawn. How do you decide if it’s dead or dormant? Eventually the grass will green up, but some eager enthusiasts want to know NOW. (See first point.) Tug on the brown areas of your lawn. Grass that’s dormant won’t easily come free of the soil, but damaged roots and dead plants will pull away with little effort.

Is there a specific patch of dead grass? Can you identify the reason for its demise? Is there evidence of insects, grubs, moles or voles? Did heavy snow stay in that part of the yard for a significant amount of time this winter? Is there poor drainage? An area of consistent use by a pet?

Early identification of these trouble spots means you’re a step ahead of your spring lawn care. Our team at Nutri-Lawn Burlington is ready to help you identify and plan for your lawn care needs so you can enjoy a healthy lush green summer lawn! Contact us today!