With the winter months in full effect, you may be wondering, “Is snow bad for my lawn?” Snow can actually cause a lot of damage to your lawn. That’s why it’s important to properly prepare your lawn for snow. Proper snow lawn care should always include cleaning and avoiding too much foot traffic. All that said, there are many benefits to snow on your lawn as well.
So, is snow bad for your lawn? Below, we cover the many advantages and disadvantages of having snow on your lawn.
Avoid getting salt on your lawn
With snow comes salt, especially in areas where the roads often freeze. While this salt helps keep the roads clear, it can cause major damage to local lawns. Salt can cause brown patches of grass, as it takes necessary nutrients away from grass.
This doesn’t mean you should avoid using salt on your walkways. Salt can help prevent major injuries caused by slipping on ice. Just avoid getting any salt on your lawn.
Watch out for snow mold
Snow mold, which is a fungus that sometimes grows underneath the snow, can be a major problem during the winter months. This fungus normally grows on leaves and other debris left on your lawn before it snows. You likely won’t notice the effects of snow mold until the snow melts.
A great want to avoid snow mold is to provide your lawn with proper care before it snows. Clear away any limbs, leaves and other debris that fall to your lawn during winter.
Snowplows can be a major problem
Snowplows can cause too much snow to pile up in one spot, effectively killing the grass underneath. This is often hard to avoid in certain areas; however, taking proper care of your grass will help it stay strong, even in harsh conditions.
Benefits of snow when it comes to lawn care
It may be hard to believe, but there are actually several ways snow benefits your lawn. For one, snow gives your lawn moisture. It also helps protect your lawn against the freezing winds of winter. Freezing winds are notorious for stealing all of the moisture from grass blades. This may cause your grass to eventually freeze completely, thus destroying the roots.
Another great benefit of snow when it comes to lawn care is it helps trap nitrogen. Nitrogen is a prevalent ingredient in fertilizers, as it helps facilitate the healthy growth of grass and many other plants.
Taking care of your grass in winter
Now that you know snow is sometimes bad for your lawn, start taking great care of your grass. Good lawn care will help keep your grass healthy, even when it snows. During winter, you’ll want to avoid walking on your grass too much, as this could weaken it. It’s also a good idea to aerate your lawn and give it another layer of fertilizer.
Invest in our winterizing services
At Star Sprinkler Systems Inc., we offer top-quality winterizing services to sprinklers. Contact us today for a free estimate.