Do You Know How Lawn Frost Is Damaging Your Yard?
Homeowners in New Jersey are feeling the December chill these days. As long as your heat is working, you can stay warm on even the coldest of days. Your lawn isn’t as lucky though since it sees first hand just how harsh the cold winter months can be. While a frosty morning is a refreshing sight from inside your backdoor, it can cause severe damage to a lawn. Learning how to protect your backyard from lawn frost is an important step in adequately caring for a lawn.
What is Lawn Frost?
Lawn frost occurs overnight when temperatures drop below 32 degrees. When this happens, any moisture inside the grass blades freezes instead of flowing to the roots. Once the moisture freezes, it expands inside of the grass blade causing it to break or rupture. After several nights of repeated lawn frost, a backyard will start to look drab, brown, and even yellow in color.
Tips to Protect Your Backyard from Lawn Frost
Follow these steps to prevent serious damage caused by lawn frost.
- Fertilize the grass.
Before the first frost arrives, spread fertilizer on the grass. Fertilizer provides the grass with the necessary nutrients it needs to survive and likely won’t receive in the winter months. - Continue watering.
Yes, it is cold, and the ground may freeze some nights, but grassroots still need moisture to survive. Some homeowners choose to water the grass daily, and others irrigate the ground to keep the water flowing throughout winter. It is especially important to water grass the day before a freeze occurs to assure the roots have the moisture they need. - Stay off the grass.
Don’t walk or drive on grass when frost is present and try to limit activity through the entire winter season. Grass is more susceptible to damage in the cold temperatures, but it is especially sensitive when frost occurs. - Rake the yard.
Leaving grass on the yard can be helpful, but too much dead grass can cause thatch to grow and take over. Rake the yard if frost has been especially harsh to the backyard to remove the dead grass and leaves. - Don’t forget the plants.
Grass isn’t the only outdoor thing that needs your attention to prevent damage from frost. Plants are also susceptible to frost damage. Bring plants indoors when possible and cover other plants with a garden blanket. - Hire a lawn care professional.
Lawn care professionals are the experts in year-round lawn maintenance. If you are unsure what your lawn needs this winter, contact a professional for a lawn evaluation. Based on their findings, a professional can make recommendations for year-round care and maintenance.
Contact Perennial Lawn Care, New Jersey’s lawn care professionals, to schedule your lawn evaluation and learn more about our services.
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