Winter Kill in the Lawn

We are all happy to say good bye to the cold weather and deep snow of winter. The warm days of spring will seem more sweet and outdoor clean up chores will seem like a party.  After being cooped up indoors all winter, now is the time to start your springtime lawn chores list.

Salt damage! Heavy snows are often blamed for winter kill to lawn grasses and garden plants. Salt damage from caustic ice melter is the real culprit.  Where  snow piles up around  patios and driveways  salt based residues are concentrated  by repeated  use. These heavy salt concentrations will damage turf grass and a variety of landscape plantings.  Wherever snow has been repeatedly thrown up on the curb by city snowplow trucks  a border of dead grass will appear. All grass varieties can be affected. Some like buffalo grass are particularly sensitive.

The first aid antidote to prevent this salt damage is to apply pelletized gypsum in early spring. The magnesium in the gypsum will neutralizes salt residues and prevent further damage to turf and plants. The fix is to put pelletized gypsum in your lawn spreader and make two passes around street curbs, driveways, sidewalks or wherever ice melter was repeatedly used this winter.

Lawn repair!  Lawn edges around sidewalks, and driveways have  also been damaged by snow removal equipment. Chunks of grass have been stripped up by snow blades and shovels.

Tire tracks have plowed up turf grass areas once hidden under the snow. Here turf grass sod is the quick and easy fix and will repair the damage in an afternoon.

Grass seed first aid can also be used for patching and repair.  Buy the seed first so you know it will match your existing lawn.  Fine bladed grass seed mixes like Estate Mix or Stadium Special will sprout and blend well.  Coarse bladed field grasses like annual rye or K-31 should be avoided no matter how appealing the picture on the bag.

PrimeraFC  field dressing makes an excellent weed free top dressing for these spring seeding repairs. It helps keep the seed in place and speeds germination as well as drying up muddy areas around the patio or dog run. It has been used for many years on outdoor sports fields and is an inexpensive problem solver for home lawns as well.

Brown mud mush! For the last two weeks at the Grass Pad has had  phone calls on lawns turned to brown mush by dogs and children running on waterlogged backyard soils.  Big German Shepherds and energetic ten year olds seem to do the most damage. Here the first aid fix is the same one used on sports fields that must be played in wet cool weather.  First, apply PrimeraFC field dressing to help stabilize the muddy bare areas. Second, seed with a fast starting sports field mix like Stadium Special or Estate Mix. Third, apply Golf Course Starter at planting and again in four weeks. Heavily trafficked grass areas, whether backyards or football fields, need to grow vigorously

to stand up to wear and tear.