Snow is a big part of winter around here. Fortunately, its effect on your lawn is generally benign, but snow can require a little management to make safe. There are a few things you can do to make sure that snow gets along with your lawn this winter.

Enjoy The Insulation

A nice blanket of snow on your lawn can act as insulation for your lawn. This is great because grass that has frosted over from the cold is vulnerable. Frozen grass blades can break under pressure, and they will take a while to grow back.

Have A Professional Move The Snow From Your Sidewalk

While a heavy blanket of snow won’t hurt your lawn, accidentally blowing so much snow on the shrubs that grow over the lawn will cause problems. A snow plow or snowblower can pile a heavy load on the shrub if the user isn’t careful, and that can cause branches to break off and crash on the lawn. Having a professional do the snow removal can ensure that the job is done safely.

Plan On Heading Off Snow Mold

Snow is great for lawns, but snow melt can cause your lawn to break out in brown or pink circles of matted grass. This is snow mold. It mostly appears after the last snow melt of the year and comes from fungus growing in your grass. You can best head it off by dethatching your lawn in late fall.

If your lawn comes down with a case of snow mold this spring, a thorough dethatching will likely help. A thick cover of thatch on your lawn traps moisture near the ground, and moisture encourages mold. Tall grass also traps moisture near the ground so you will probably want to keep your lawn short in the Spring. Also, you might want to wait until Spring is in full swing to fertilize your lawn too, as nitrogen encourages mold growth.  Even in the worst case scenarios, you can simply overseed your lawn. Snow mold is temporary and grass is resilient.

At the end of the day, If you’d like to know more about snow and your lawn, give us a call. Our team is here to help answer your questions and position you to make the best landscape / maintenance decisions for your home.

-TGC Team