For some people, winter is the most wonderful time of the year. For your lawn, the winter brings snow, which isn’t as wonderful. Learn how snow impacts the health of your lawn and what you can do to prevent problems.

How Snow Impacts the Health of Your Lawn

• Compaction: Depending on the density of the snow, it can weigh anywhere from one pound/cubic foot to 21 pounds/cubic foot. Now, add the fluctuating temperatures to that that create an icy layer over the snow, increasing the pressure on your grass. This consistent weight can cause compaction, which prevents air from getting to grass roots and impacts the health of your lawn.
• Snow Mold: Snow mold appears as gray/white patches of mycelium, generally concentrated in circles 3” to 12” Diam, though sometimes they overlap. The grass inside the circles may have rust-colored sclerotia. Snow mold damages or kills grass after snow melts, so it appears in the late winter.
• Pink Snow Mold: Pink snow mold is a fungus that looks like well-defined circular patch clusters on grass and may follow surface drainage patterns. Pink/white mycelium may be observed on infected leaf blades. Surprisingly, snow isn’t required for pink snow mold. However, snow can matt the turf, which increases the risk.

How to Prevent Snow from Causing Severe Damage to Your Lawn

• Aerate in the fall. You can fend off issues from compaction by aerating your lawn in the fall. This involves pulling plugs of soil out of the ground, providing roots plenty of access to air.
• Keep your lawn clear from heavy objects. Your picnic table already puts a lot of weight on your lawn. Add snow on top, and the risk of compaction is even higher. Keep heavier objects off your lawn during the wintertime to prevent problems in the spring.
• Use different pathways. It can be tempting to walk the same path in the snow, following previous footsteps. But each time you walk that path, you are putting more pressure on the grass, causing more compaction. Switch up your path to prevent issues.

Set Your Lawn up for Success with Shades of Green Lawn & Landscape.

We are your local lawn care company in Indiana and your neighbors who want to help you have your healthiest lawn yet. Our experienced and knowledgeable technicians know your lawn is unique and one of a kind, and we create your lawn plan specifically for you. We have four lawn care packages to ensure there is a lawn care plan for every home and budget. Call us today at 765-771-9998 for a free quote.