What to do with Your Lawn After Winter?

Low temperatures, heavy snowfall, and blistering winds in winter can be unpleasant for your lawn. Such conditions can cause your grass to become thin, brown, and even dead. When temperatures significantly drop in winter, lawns go into the dormancy stage until the arrival of spring warmth. After long, cold winters, your lawn needs attention and care to restore its former health and beauty.

As soon as winter is near its end, it's time to start thinking about how to help your lawn bounce back from harsh winter. This is a time to give your yard much-needed TLC. In this guide, our experts share the lawn care steps you should take after winter to help your grass look vibrant and green again.

9 Tips to Revive Your Lawn After Winter

Follow these easy tips to restore your lawn health after gloomy winters and bring it back to its lush, green self.

1. Assess the Damage

Before starting lawn care, walk around your lawn to assess its condition. Look for dead or brown patches; they're a sign of dead grass or snow mold (fungal disease). Is the soil tightly packed? Is the grass thin? Compacted soil or nutrient deficiency causes thinning grass. Are weeds ready to sprout? Are there signs of pests and disease? Take note of all the issues so you can fix them once the weather starts warm and you start your post-winter lawn care.

2. Clear Winter Debris

After assessing the winter damage, the first and foremost thing to do with your lawn is to clean it thoroughly and ensure it is clear of all debris. Winter can cover your lawn with dead leaves, twigs, and other debris. Once the ground is thawed, rake all this debris so your grass can breathe and grow again.

Dead leaves and branches retain too much moisture, which can cause fungal disease. Plant debris also creates a habitat for dangerous insects that can damage your lawn further. Leaves, branches, and other materials can hinder drainage and new growth in spring.

Read More: Easy Garden Routines to Maintain the Perfect Lawn and Yard

3. Control Weeds Early On

Weeds can start spreading in your struggling lawn before your grass gets a chance to grow. Look for weeds sprouting in areas where grass is thin or just beginning to grow. Eliminate weeds immediately before the spring.

Some homeowners ignore the weed problems at the start of the season, which hinder new grass growth and make your lawn look patchy. Moreover, they become difficult to remove when they establish their roots.

So, if you see any winter weeds emerging from your lawn, pull them, dig up the roots, or use weed killer to stop them from damaging your grass.

4. Aerate the Soil

Soil plays a key role in lawn health. During winter, heavy snow can compact your lawn soil, and thatch can worsen this problem. Grass in compacted soil cannot receive enough nutrients and develop strong roots. Assess your soil condition, and if it is tightly packed, clay-like, or extremely dry, it needs to be aerated.

Aeration loosens the soil and improves drainage, allowing the soil to breathe and distribute water and nutrients to your grassroots. You can aerate using a manual spike aerator or a machine. The aerator creates tiny holes in the ground, allowing the soil to decompress and prepare for new growth.

5. Overseed Bare Spots

If your lawn has thinning, bare, or dead spots, overseeding is the best way to revive it. Snow and cold temperatures can cause bald patches on your lawn. Overseeding will restore these damaged areas and give you luscious green grass in bare spots, bringing your lawn back to its glory. Use high-quality seeds best suited for soil type and climate. Here are the steps to overseed or reseed your lawn.

• Remove any weeds or dead grass from the areas.
• Aerate the soil enough to make it loose.
• Spread a thin compost layer over the area. Use a rake or tiller to mix it into the soil.
• Spread seed using a spreader or by hand to cover the bald area.
• After sowing, rake the seed into the soil.
• Water newly sown seeds well.

6. Carefully Mow

Once your grass starts regrowing, it's time to resume your mowing. Since grass growth is stunted during winter, you will have a short lawn at the start of spring.

Set your mower a little higher than usual when mowing for the first time, then lower the blades once the grass becomes longer. This will help prevent damage to the grass and expose its roots. Mowing only the top third of grass blades prevents it from overgrowing and protects the health and beauty of your lawn.

7. Fertilize the Lawn

Fertilizer is not necessary during the coldest winter months because most plants go dormant. This is also true for cool-season grasses. But your lawn needs extra TLC after harsh winters. A healthy lawn needs essential nutrients to thrive, so apply high-quality lawn fertilizer to your grass in spring.

Once the snow melts and temperatures get warmer, aerate the lawn and give your turf an early spring fertilizer treatment to energize growth. This will boost your grass and help it grow during warmer months. Before feeding your lawn, test your soil to ensure its pH is balanced for nutrient absorption.

8. Check Your Sprinkler System

During colder months, your sprinkler system is turned off and winterized to avoid costly damage. Once the weather starts getting warmer, it's time to check your sprinkler for weather damage and turn it on.

Inspect the above ground components of the sprinkler system, including pipes, sprinkler heads, and valves. Clear debris from all sprinklers and nozzles, as it can affect the spray pattern. Repair or replace the broken or cracked component if any component is damaged. Manually test your sprinkler system for each irrigation zone.

Also Read:When Should You Turn on Your Sprinkler System?

9. Water Your Lawn Deeply and Regularly

Proper watering is another key to achieving a healthy lawn. Once your sprinkler system is all set and running, start watering your lawn in spring. You can water less in early spring than in summer. Depending on your climate, you can give an inch of water per week or less or more.

Plan to water in the early morning or evening to prevent evaporation. Make sure your lawn is dry before watering. Avoid watering your lawn during the rainfall season; otherwise, you might overwater your grass, disrupting its growth.

The Bottom Line

With these post-winter lawn care tips, you can wake your lawn from dormancy and get it back to green, healthy condition. The most important thing to do during lawn care is to be patient. You need to give your yard enough time to flourish. Spring temperatures can make you want to get your hands in the soil, but the ground must thaw and dry before you can work on it. It can take somewhere between a few days to weeks for the soil to dry, based on your zone and the winter you experienced.

As you bid winter goodbye, follow these tips to prepare your lawn for spring.