Three Ways to Protect Your Grass in Winter

The Northeast has been hit by some pretty bad snow storms this winter, especially in New Jersey.

With so much snow blanketing the Northeast this winter, it’s important to remember a few things that will keep you safe and your lawn healthy.

We’ve talked at length about the things you can do before the storm. For example, you should trim branches and trees before a big snow storm because accumulation might cause breakage, which could cause serious damage to your property. Likewise, you should prepare yourself with a shovel and materials to remove snow in order to clear walkways and driveways.

However, if you’re concerned about your lawn and want to make sure that it’s nice and healthy once the snow melts, here are a few things you can do.

Don’t walk on the grass

Even if there’s not snow covering your lawn, frozen grass is very brittle. Excessive foot traffic over portions of your lawn that may be frozen could be detrimental to its health. Not only can the tops of your grass snap off, but you can also damage the crown of your grass. If possible, you should make an effort to really use your regular walkways to avoid stepping on the grass too much.

Avoid building snowmen on the grass

We know that the best thing to do after a snowstorm is to build a nice big snowman. But if you care about your lawn, you’ll be wise to build it somewhere other than your lawn. Just like you don’t want to put unnecessary wear and tear on your lawn through foot traffic, building a five-foot snowman will put a lot of pressure on a small amount of grass. That will likely result in damage to the grass that will prevent it from becoming green in the spring.

Be vigilant of ice chunks

The last thing you really want to be wary of is snow mold, which happens when ice is compacted against grass or the lawn is not properly put to bed in the fall. To prevent this, break up large chunks of ice or snow, so it doesn’t build up.