The snow is beautiful. That said, I have a question about what is best to to do protect our lawn. I assume I have 2 decent options

1. leave as is, dont walk on it or disturb it assuming that the snow will transmit enough light to the grass to keep it alive and might actually give it an insulating layer. I am guessing that walking on it / depressing the snow to compacted ice on the grass will kill the grass.

2. shovel / rake the snow off the lawn completely – a huge job but not impossible. This would give most light to the grass and prevent it getting locked in ice.

What is the best option? Should I do something altogether different or is it to late to protect it or is it a lost cause regardless.

Enjoying the snow but looking forward to green grass in spring!


Comments

  1. snow on the lawn?

    No need to worry. The new healthcare reform bill just passed in the Senate has a provision for snow removal.

    it’s on page 1652 paragraph 4, line 2, just after,
    “provision for weeds by the side of the highway”.

    so you see, the multi-trillion dollar spending spree has it’s advantages.
    someone will be assigned to remove the snow in due time, you just have to fill out the proper paper work and
    tell them you are willing to sign away any individuality for the sake of the collective.

  2. The only answer I did not see was that you should try to keep the snow from falling on the lawn in the first place. That could have some interesting solutions.

  3. As everyone else has said, leave it be, enjoy the snow. Grass needs to be dormant to grow better in the spring – the cold blanket of snow helps that and waters the lawn (and it doesn’t need light). The more you leave it alone, the better it will be come spring. This includes overfertilizing, fertilizing late in the season, etc.

  4. Thank-you for your generous replies. The question is not a joke. I did grow up in a hot climate & yes previously have lived in apartments in Manhattan. Last spring I spent a lot of time building a back garden hence this is my first cold climate winter with a lawn and I want to look after it. ‘Til now, I haven’t paid much attention to what happens to grass over winter/what it takes to come back in spring but am happy to hear it will be easier than I thought.

    PS I considered piling the snow on the patio if that was the best option.

  5. as a person who spent most of it’s life in northern Russia:

    the grass will survive whether you walk on the snow or not. Do not remove snow. If you that paranoid – wrap trees with something steady so snow will not break the branches and trees will not freeze.

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