3 Causes of Winter Kill on your Minnesota Lawn: It is important to know how to plant grass seed and when to plant grass seed to repair your lawn in Minnesota.

3 Causes of Winter Kill on your Minnesota Lawn:

It is important to know how to plant grass seed and when to plant grass seed to repair your lawn in Minnesota.

Presented by:

Weed Man Lawn Care of the Twin Cities

651-456-9696

Winter Kill on lawns #1

*Ice cover:

Periods of snow followed by warm temperatures, then freezing temperatures, can create a thick layer of ice on the lawn. Many cool season grasses can handle these conditions, but if ice persists for 30 days or more damage can occur.

Winter Kill on lawns #2

*Snow Cover:

A persistent snow cover can create warmer, insulated conditions near the surface of the soil. This can lead to gray or pink snow mold. It can also create the right habitat for voles, field mice, which can lead to noticeable trails throughout the lawn in the spring.

Winter Kill #3

Bare Dormant Grass

Bare dormant grass can become dried out when exposed to winter winds and extreme temperatures over long periods of time. This causes serious damage to the sensitive crown of the plant making recovery take much longer. Snow cover is preferred in heavy traffic areas.

Timing:

Plant grass as soon as the snow melts. Make sure you allow to germinate and grow 2-3 inches tall before having Weed Man Lawn Care of the Twin Cities put on the pre-emergent to prevent crabgrass. 

Recovery: 

Fixing your lawn after winter kill is generally an exercise in knowing how to plant grass seed and when to plant grass seed. 

1) Clear the area of non grass material and loosen the soil. This can be done with a hoe, rake or shovel. It can be helpful if there is no grass at all to dig down a few inches to alleviate any compaction in the soil. If the soil lacks nutrients a potting soil or starter fertilizer can be helpful. 

2) Choose a high quality Kentucky blue grass and perennial rye mixed grass seed.

3) Plant grass per instructions on the packaging. If patch seeding you may want to put the seed on a little heavier to increase the density and success rate of the planting.  

4) Sprinkle on a little hay or dried mulch to keep the seed from blowing away or by being eaten by birds. 

5) Water evenly as per the grass seed instructions. You do now want to drown the seed. Simply keep them moist for approximately 2-3 weeks in order for proper germination. 

6) Continue to water normally as you would the rest of the lawn after the 2-3 weeks.  Have Weed Man continue to fertilize and control the weeds as usual. This will help the turf recover and look great once again. 

Winter kill on the turf is never a fun experience, however by knowing how to plant grass seed as well as when to plant grass seed, should help you shorten the life of the damage on your lawn. Have a green spring and we will be there soon to help you have an amazing Weed Man lawn. 

Weed Man Lawn Care of the Twin Cities

651-456-9696

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