Winter Desiccation and Salt Damage: Cold Weather Stresses on Your Lawn

Your lawn goes through stressful times during the winter! That may sound funny, but it’s true. Lots of homeowners believe that their plants and grass just hibernate once the snow starts falling, but they are still very much alive and are waiting for the spring and summer sunshine to come around. Until that happens, they can very much be affected by the cold and snow.

Winter Desiccation

Desiccation is common in the Pittsburgh area, and it’s easy to spot. The ends of plant leaves look brown or wilted, and may appear to be burned and falling off. This can happen when dry air causes moisture to escape from plant leaves, or when the ground is frozen, which can make it difficult for the plant to draw moisture from the ground. The plants that are most likely to suffer from this kind of winter stress are azaleas, hollies, and rhododendrons.

There are several ways to ensure that your plants have enough moisture. The first way is to have Superior Lawn Care apply root fertilization in the fall, before the weather turns cold. Then, prune away any dead branches. Apply mulch around the plants to help keep moisture near the soil, and put burlap around the soil in any exposed areas.

Salt Damage

Many people apply ice melt and salt to their driveways and walkways when it snows outside. While this is a good idea to prevent slips and falls, the salt can also damage your lawn during the winter and create a poor growing environment once spring has arrived.

Many people don’t have a choice about where they have to put down salt to keep safe during icy and snowy weather. In the spring, when you look at your grass and plants that border your curbs, you may notice serious damage. This situation can be remedied by lawn care and treatments that include raking, seeding, and fertilizing every year. For the most part, you’ll find that unless we just went through a very snowy winter, you’ll probably only need some fertilizer to encourage your grass and plants back to green.

If you notice that winter is getting the best of your plants and grass, Superior Lawn Care is here to help you get a lush, green lawn. We serve most of southwestern PA, including Pittsburgh, Cranberry Township, Indiana, Greensburg, and Peters Township.  Give us a call to learn more about restoring your lawn after the cold of winter.