Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (But Not On Your Lawn!)

You know how it goes; one minute, you’re doing what you can to prepare your garden for autumn, the next you’re facing the threat of impending snow. Is it any wonder that many us face extreme lawn repair jobs when the spring rolls around? Snow, worse than most weather, can take its toll on your outside space. If you aren’t careful, that luscious green growth can become mulching mud before you know.

It’s no surprise that snow can cause such severe damage. It’s a blanket of cold hard ice which melts and soaks into the lawn. It’s a double-whammy of all the worst weather conditions. The chances are that your garden won’t be able to cope with it. That’s why you need to know both what to do when it snows, and how to get your lawn up to scratch afterward.

Lucky for you, we have a few simple steps to help keep your garden looking lovely, even when flakes start to fall. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Clear the worst of it

Nothing’s worse for destroying your lawn than suffocating your grass. If you ever wonder why your covering looks thin after a few days of snow, this is the answer. A thick layer of snow can stop even a dormant lawn from surviving. One way around this would be to tackle lawn aeration ahead of time to ensure your grass still gets the breathing room it needs. You should also set about clearing snow. Admittedly, you won’t be able to shovel snow from your garden as thoroughly as you might your driveway. But, raking aside the worst of it ensures that your grass doesn’t suffer for long. As easy as that, you can go a long way towards reducing any damage.

Many of us run out and tread all over our gardens when it snows. This is especially likely if you have kids around the house, but it’s a bad idea when it comes to your lawn. Underneath snow, your dormant grass won’t be able to tolerate much traffic. At this stage, it’ll be using all its energy to survive. As such, running all over a snowy lawn could see it getting churned up and ruined before you know. To avoid an unpleasant surprise when the snow melts, keep traffic well away from your grass.

Focus on repair

Even with your best efforts, snow isn’t going to leave your lawn untouched. When it finally melts, the chances are that you’ll still see plenty of mud through the green. There’s no getting around that. But, you can make sure the damage doesn’t last long by turning your attention here sharpish. As you did before the snow fell, it’s worth switching to aeration here again to encourage growth. It may also be beneficial to turn to so-called ‘cool-weather’ grass seeds such as fescues. That way, you don’t have to wait until spring to start replenishing the crop. Instead, you’ll have green grass again before you know.