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Protecting your lawn from snow: Winter care tips
Did you know that part of seasonal maintenance includes prepping your lawn for the winter? Most homeowners aren’t aware of how much damage snow, ice, and freezing temperatures can do to their lawn. Professional companies carry out specific lawn care during winter in Canada to ensure it is in good shape come springtime.
This prep work can include the last mow in the fall season, which is typically left at 2 to 2.5 inches high. Grass that is left too tall can invite snow mold and grass that is cut too short can be impacted by the cold weather. Professional lawn care technicians will also fertilize your lawn to prepare for the cold season and keep it nourished.
These are all pre-winter steps that are completed before the season begins. Now that we’re in the cold months, below are some tips on how to protect your grass in the winter.
Clean your lawn
In Calgary, it’s not uncommon to experience winter months with no snow or warm Chinook weather that melts all of the snow on the ground. Every time the snow clears, be sure to remove debris, leaves, sticks, and other items.
Some homeowners choose to leave the cleaning when winter is officially over and the snow is completely cleared. However, if a heavy snowfall comes and buries these objects, they can crush the grass and leave your lawn susceptible to disease.
Reduce traffic and avoid placing heavy equipment on your lawn
On these warm winter days when the snow has melted, it’s tempting to get in your yard with the kids and play. Keep in mind that this causes more stress on your grass, so we recommend limiting or avoiding foot traffic altogether. If you’re doing work with heavy equipment, avoid placing the equipment on your lawn and instead place it on your porch or patio.
During springtime, we sometimes see a patch of the lawn more impacted than the rest of the yard. This is often caused by continuous foot traffic on the same path. If you need to walk across your yard during the winter to access your garage or shed, try to spread the path out and avoid walking in the same straight line.
Avoid mowing the lawn
Grass typically stops growing in late October or early November, depending on the temperature. Your lawn doesn’t need to be mowed during the winter, even if there is no snow on the ground. In fact, mowing the grass too short during the winter can damage your lawn and put more stress on it when the snow eventually comes.
