Depending on where you live, as the weather transitions from fall to winter, you may see changes in your lawn and yard. As the yellow, red, and brown leaves fall to the ground, you may notice that your grass is starting to look dried out too. As you see your lawn going through this transition, it is easy to become scared that you are doing something wrong or that all your grass might die by the time winter ends. But fear not! Continue reading this article for the top tips to help your lawn make it through the winter and become a beautiful, healthy green by the time spring rolls around.
Lawn Dormancy
First things first: if your lawn is looking like it is drying up at the end of fall, it is not because it is dying off. Actually, your lawn naturally goes through a type of plant hibernation, if you will. To save energy during the cold months, your grass goes through a process called dormancy. Lawn dormancy is a state of reduced metabolic activity that occurs when the grass senses that it is getting too cold to survive otherwise. If you live where it snows, your lawn would not be able to survive the winter without going through dormancy. During the winter months, the grass is covered in snow and deprived of sunlight and water. Because of this stress, the grass has to shut down its normal processes. This doesn’t just happen during the winter but during any kind of environmental stress, such as a drought. If your lawn has ever experienced a drought, then you are familiar with the yellow, dried-out appearance of grass when the drought occurs. However, once it rains again, your grass appears to be brought back to life. In actuality, the grass had put itself into a state of dormancy and is revitalized once the stressor (lack of rain) is removed.
Now that you know why your lawn appears dried out once the winter is about to begin, what can you do to ensure that your yard stays healthy during the winter months? Here are the top eight tips for keeping your lawn healthy during the winter:
1. Don’t Water Your Lawn
When Fall first hits, it can be tempting to continue to water your lawn as you normally do, or even to increase the water as you see your lawn drying out. Don’t do this! Don’t water your lawn when fall starts and especially don’t increase the amount you water your lawn. As you read above, your lawn goes into a state of dormancy once cold weather begins. Your lawn is preparing itself for freezing temperatures and a lack of water. Watering your lawn during this time could freeze and kill the grass.
2. Mulch Your Trees and Shrubs
If you have trees, shrubs, bushes, or perennial flowers in your yard, you can protect them from cold winter by placing mulch on top of their soil. This will insulate the soil and the plants’ roots and help them better survive the winter. You can mulch at some point during the fall, but definitely before the first freeze of the year.
3. Clean Up Your Yard
Before the first snow, make sure that your yard is clear of junk. Whether you have tools in the yard, pet cages, a grill, etc., make sure it is off your grass and stored properly before the snow comes. Not only can it be dangerous to leave these items on the ground (especially if you have kids who are going to play in the snow during the winter), but these items can damage your grass once they are weighted down by the snow. What’s more, is that these items can also themselves be ruined by the snow or can end up rusted.
4. Allow Snow to Insulate Your Lawn
The blanket of snow that covers your lawn during the winter is actually very good for your lawn. Snow is light and fluffy and can actually trap air and keep your lawn slightly warmer than the below-freezing temperatures that you feel when you step outside on a frigid winter night. Don’t shovel snow off your lawn. Keep the snow to allow it to work as a natural blanket for your yard.
5. Avoid Car and Foot Traffic
As stated above, snow can naturally insulate your lawn and protect it from sub-zero temperatures. However, if you constantly step on your lawn or park your car on your lawn during the winter, this can cause the snow to pack down on your lawn. When snow is packed, it becomes solid, brittle, and icy. This will no longer allow the snow to act as a blanket and could leave your lawn damaged. During the winter, walk on your lawn as little as possible and do not park your car on your lawn. Of course, if you have kids who like to play in the snow, by all means, allow them to have fun! But don’t walk on the grass or pack in the snow more than you have to. Alternatively, when it snows, you can take your kids to a local park. This will not only save your lawn from additional snow-packing but also will allow your kids to play with others. Also note that unless the whole neighborhood is coming to your backyard, the amount of damage that a couple of kids will cause from playing in the snow is likely very minimal.
6. Use the Right Salts
If you have to salt your driveway or your sidewalk, make sure that you pay attention to the type of salt that you are buying. While no salt is good for your lawn, some are worse than others. If you need to salt your pavement, try to use calcium chloride salts rather than sodium chloride salts. Also, be careful to use salt in moderation – using too much salt not only wastes money, but also could exacerbate damage to your lawn.
7. Rake
When the snow first clears up at the end of winter or beginning of spring, rake your lawn. This will help aerate the grass and allow for new growth.
8. Cut Your Grass Short
You do not need to rush to cut your grass as soon as the snow clears up. However, when you do cut your grass for the first time in the spring, cut it a little shorter than normal. Lower your lawnmower blades to cut your grass shorter. Doing this will also help aerate the lawn a little more and help revitalize it after a long winter of dormancy.
More on Lawn Care
And there you have it! Keeping your lawn healthy during the winter is really not that difficult of a project. It is not labor-intensive and will not take a lot of your time to protect your lawn during the cold months. Once the spring comes again, you can start working on your lawn as usual. If you are new to lawn maintenance, check out this article on the best tools for lawn maintenance. And just because it is freezing outside does not mean that you have to halt your compost. Actually, freeze/thaw cycles are very healthy for your compost, meaning that you can keep your compost up all winter long. If you haven’t composted before, check out this article on easy ways to set it up in your backyard today!