Winter is coming, and though it may be time to gas-up the snow blower, it’s not quite time to put aside lawn care chores. The coming frost and icy temperatures can do damage to your lawn and garden. With a little knowledge and preparation, however, you can ensure you’ll have a vibrant, healthy lawn come spring.

Fight The First Frost
There’s a reason why many golf courses don’t allow players on the course until a morning frost has softened. Hardy-weather grasses bred in colder latitudes aren’t normally damaged by deep-winter freezes, but if temperatures drop when a lawn is still tender and green, frost damage can occur.

The damage doesn’t come from the soft layer of ice glittering on each blade, but from the crackling sound beneath your feet. That’s the sound of plant cell walls breaking. The damage will show up days later as a dead, brown path wherever pressure from footsteps, bike tires, etc., have killed the grass.

Keeping off your lawn during these green-frosts is one defense against frost damage that you can control.

Prevention Is Primary
You can’t prevent a long, icy winter, but you can improve the health of your lawn so it’s better equipped to bounce back once the deep-freeze has ended.

• Water Well Before A Freeze. A well-watered lawn holds more heat and protects the soil and grass roots.
• Don’t Cut Lawn Too Short. Although grass growth has slowed down, the roots are still storing fuel for the long winter. Longer grass means more surface area for photosynthesis, which means more energy for the roots to store.
• Fertilize. Whether you add potash or choose to mow the fall leaves into a fine mulch, adding nutrients encourages root growth in anticipation of strong shoots in the spring.
• Take Care When Covering Garden Plants, If You Must. No matter how well you stake them, it’s possible that snow or frost will weigh upon the cover and press against the foliage, causing damage. Consult your landscaper about freeze protection if any of your garden plants require special treatment.

A hard winter may take a toll on your lawn, but good preparation and careful care before the first frost as well as after the first thaw will help ensure the quickest recovery.