Preventing Winter Damage

Each year, our team at Weed Man comes across the devastating effects of winter damage on homeowners’ lawns. Unfortunately, many lawns that were lush and green in the fall appear to have patches of straw-coloured, damaged turf come spring.

Winter damage occurs for a number of reasons, including:

·   Severely cold temperatures that freeze the turf grass

·   Cool, dry winds that dehydrate the grass plant

·   Ice that tears plant tissues apart

·   Temperature variations that can disrupt the turf grass’ natural dormancy

·   Diseases that thrive in cold temperatures

·   Rodents burrowing or feeding in lawns

·   Road sand and salt that can severely damage the turf grass

But what if we told you that winter damage is largely preventable?

Of course, weather conditions are out of our hands. But there are a number of preventative measures you can take in order to keep winter damage at bay.

Before the snow falls, you can overseed or sod your lawn – especially with winter-hardy cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass and fescue. Ideally, you would have the lawn fertilized by a professional as well (like our team at Weed Man!) as they will be familiar with the best time to fertilize your lawn for the winter and what the ideal product is. You should also ensure that the lawn is 2 inches (5 cm) in height before the snow covers it, as both rodents and lawn diseases are attracted to longer grasses.

When the wintertime does come, you may be tempted to flood your lawn to create a DIY ice-skating rink. While skating rinks can be a lot of fun, keep in mind that this can ruin the turf grass below it. We recommend properly draining the lawn to prevent water from gathering and ice from forming – otherwise, you may be opening yourself up to some serious winter damage.

When in doubt, you can always contact your local Weed Man professionals. We would be glad to assist you with your lawn care needs.