How Does Snow Melt Affect Your Grass?
Read MorePosted on: Jan 25, 2023Raunie
Snow melt has an effect on your grass as our increasingly more inconsistent weather patterns become our new normal. While there isn’t much you can do to help your lawns directly, we will hope to explain the effect of our winter wonderland on our grass.
Falling Snow
Snow can be beneficial for our lawns as it insulates the soil and keep the crown of the grass and the soil safe from the harshness that deep frost and/or ice can create. As snow falls, it collects excess nitrogen that is in the surrounding air and settles in the soil. While it is not enough to fully feed your lawn through a full growing season; however, it does provide some natural nutrients even when we think there is nothing going on out there.
Melting Snow
When the snow melts, that water gets redistributed and absorbs into the surrounding soil. This in turn also absorbs into your lawn’s root system during a vulnerable time of waking up from dormancy. So when we’re using salt or ice melt on our driveways and walkways all winter there will be an oversaturation of sodium and other materials that will melt into the soil. When the spring hits – it’s always a good idea to heavily water down and rake areas where snow piles were to help flush out anything that could harm your grass.
Snow Mold
The biggest issue that arises each spring is snow mold. Snow mold is a disease that pops up in the springtime due to an excess of moisture oversaturating areas of the grass where the snow gets piled after each snowfall. Don’t fret, it is a relatively easy problem to rectify but early detection is key to a solid solution. If you see pink areas with white edges along the edges of your property the first defense is raking out the area (away from the rest of the grass) and removing the affected grass blades and a light application of fertilizer. This will help stimulate new growth and treats the disease at the same time.
I’ve always been a fan of nature. But knowing that snow creates a similar feeling for grass as a cozy blanket feels for me makes me love nature that much more.