How to restore your lawn after winter

Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

Winter months can be rough on a lawn. Lower temperatures combined with frost, snow and long periods of time lying dormant beneath dead leaves, branches and other yard waste result in hard, packed soil, dehydrated blades and damaged roots. Road salts and chemical deicers destroy plant life and make it difficult for a lawn to recover, even into the spring and summer months.

The good news is that most grass is fairly resilient, and a little nurturing goes a long way! Here are a few ways to get your lawn back to a healthy, appealing bloom:

1. Mitigate snow mold. Characterized by unsightly white, grey or pink patches left behind as snow melts, snow mold is caused by a fungus that spreads once temperatures get to between 32º and 45ºF. The best way to prevent it is to encourage proper drainage and gently rake the grass to loosen and dry overly damp areas.

2. Rake excess thatch.

“Thatch” refers to roots, leaves and plant material along the soil surface that develops when debris is produced faster than it breaks down. Water gets trapped in this layer of organic matter, making your lawn more susceptible to shallow root systems, fungi and pests. Raking excessive thatch encourages grass roots to grow deeper and prevents undue moisture.

3. Aerate the soil.

Another way to encourage proper drainage and absorption of nutrients is to break up compacted soil with aeration boots or a manual appliance.

4. Lower the lawn mower blades. Using a lower blade setting on the first mow of the season can help to remove dead grass and stimulate new growth.

5. Fertilize appropriately.

Avoid fertilizing while the grass is dormant—from about six weeks before the first expected snowfall in autumn until it begins to perk up and actively grow in the spring—because this won’t do much besides encourage snow mold and waste money. Use an organic fertilizer, granular if you’re not in a hurry or water-soluble for a lawn that you want to grow quickly.

Giving your lawn a bit of encouragement as the weather warms and spring approaches will pay off in beautiful green groundcover during the summer. If you need assistance staging your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you!

Compiled and edited by Angela Valente, Marketing Copywriter/Copyeditor