How To Get Green Grass After February Freezes

What Happens To Grass In The Winter?

Once winter sets in, bright green colors give way to brownish hues, while bare patches may form throughout the yard. This is because the grass on your lawn prioritizes the conservation of water, nutrients, and energy to make it through the winter months. This hibernation of sorts is one way it stays alive throughout the winter.

Dormant Grass vs. Dead Grass

Even though your lawn is blasted with freezing temperatures, heavy snow, and ice during winter, your grass may not die. Michigan cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, and perennial ryegrass are usually dormant during the winter, conserving energy. This dormant state usually begins once temperatures consistently dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. With proper lawn care, the grass will start the growing cycle once it warms up.

Get Rid of Winter Weeds

If you’re seeing weeds pop up through the dormant grass, it’s because they germinated in early fall. Pull or spot-treat weeds in your yard to help kill them before they drop more seeds. A healthy and dense yard is the best way to control winter weeds. Visionary Fertilization’s fall lawn care schedule of fertilizer (we offer organic fertilizer options) and pre-emergent herbicides can help build up your grass before winter sets in. You’ll also want to apply mulch to plant beds and other areas of exposed soil and limit mowing and tilling, which are known to spread weed seeds.

Watch For Snow Mold

Pink and gray snow mold are no strangers to Southeast Michigan lawns. If heavy snow piles up before the soil has time to freeze adequately, snow mold can grow in warmer soil temperatures. While difficult to prevent, aeration and leaf raking can help remove snow mold after the fact.

Pre-Spring Lawn Tips For Southeast Michigan

According to Michigan State University researchers, March is considered the frost-seeding month for certain plants in Michigan, including some grasses. The freeze/thaw cycle helps bury the seeds into the top soil layer to help stimulate early germination. But even meteorologists are still predicting severe winter weather for local areas like Lapeer, Macomb, Rochester Hills, Shelby Township, Utica, or Troy, there are steps you can take to nourish your grass and the roots. Here are some quick ways to help keep your lawn thriving under all that snow and ice.

• Rake your leaves. If more snow or potential freezing temperatures are still in the forecast, you want to rake the leaves. It can contribute to thatch, the layer of organic material that collects over time during winter.

• Don’t shovel snow from the driveway to the yard. Your driveway may contain snow-melting salt or rock salt. Even in small amounts, this could shift the PH levels in your soil. Move mounds to the street instead.

• Avoid walking on a frozen lawn. Even if you only see a small amount of frost on grass, stay off the yard. Some of the water inside the blades may still be frozen, so stepping on them can cause damage to the cells. 

• Water your lawn the night before a freeze. When you deep water your lawn before a freeze, the evaporation process creates heat energy for the grass. This helps keep the temperature higher and prevents cells of the blades from freezing. It can also help ward off crown hydration.
  

Set Your Lawn Care Schedule With Visionary Fertilization

The best way to keep your lawn thriving under all that snow and ice is by working with the experts at Visionary Fertilization. We are locally owned and operated, so our yards face the same winter conditions. Before the first frost on grass, our dedicated specialists will prepare your lawn for whatever Mother Nature has in store, thanks to our unique 7-Step Treatment Program. 

We provide service in Lapeer, Macomb, Rochester Hills, Shelby Township, Utica, and Troy. Give us a call at 586-281-5148 for more information on custom lawn services near you, or contact us today for a free estimate.