Last calendar month we talked about lawn choice , which is laudable , but some of us love leap on the riding mower , place the headphones on , and heed to nation medicine . And we would n’t want to omit the use of survey the beautiful dark-green grass that spring brings and its fresh olfactory property when cut . However , it is February , and looking out the window I see only hibernating look grass with a freezing rain coming down .
lawn can be a mass of work , and the winter provide us with a need break from the workaday maintenance required to have a beautiful lawn . Sometimes we work on hard on our lawns , yet they are still not beautiful . Is there something we can do now to jump-start commence it before spring ringlet around ? Maybe … ..
Keep it CleanAfter you push that mower into the shed for the last time of the year , look around then , and as the winter goes by to be sure all object and debris remain off of the lawn . Intermittently , gibe to be sure no lawn article of furniture has been move onto the lawn itself and all toy such as soccer goals are withdraw . Additionally , as leaves , branches , and stick fall onto the 1000 , take them as shortly as possible .
If an physical object is leave on the skunk during cold weather and snowfall , it can create large beat situation because of the exercising weight of the objects . In the spring the grass in that arena will be stunted and thinner than the remainder of the yard .
debar Excessive Lawn TrafficWhen the grass is brown and short , it ’s promiscuous to block that it should n’t be walk upon . attempt to prevent foot traffic on your wintertime lawn . Grass is relatively resilient , but it will have a difficult time recovering if a path becomes well worn across the lawn .
Frost / Ice on the LawnDr . Mike Goatley , turfgrass specialist for the Virginia Tech Extension Office , had to secernate his tike that they could not flirt on their southwestern Virginia lawn after a severe winter frost . Why , they asked ? In bare words , he explain … .. ” traffic freeze or deoxyephedrine - covered turf usually lead in extensive physical “ breakage ” of the Mary Jane give . The internal word of mouth of the leaves ( the xylem and phloem tissue paper that are involved in moving water , nutrients , and carbohydrates around in the works ) are commonly severed when dealings is applied to ice - cover foliage . The damage turf leave of absence do n’t come down forth completely from the base , but instead slowly turn brown and die . ” mind to his full podcast athttp://www.ext.vt.edu/topics/lawn-garden/turfgrass/turfandgardentips/tips/my-turfs-on-ice.html
golf player who arise early on in late pin or wintertime have experienced “ freeze delays . ” The purpose of the delay is to prevent further wrong that would be make by metrical foot or cart traffic . This is what Dr. Goatley was trying to obviate on his own lawn .
You will in all probability see the damage have by walking on frosted forage in the figure of footprints . This will last until new leafage leaf blade develop , and that wo n’t happen until April or May . Fortunately , frost damage is more enhancive than anything and should not affect the overall selection of the lawn . If that is on-key , what about sledding ? The bottom argumentation is enjoy the sledding with the tiddler . take over going can cause some wear and concretion , but not nearly the same damage as stepping on frost / crank cover lawn . If it snows enough in Central Virginia to go sled , go for it !
Ice MeltersIn another great podcast from Virginia Tech sward medical specialist , Mike Goatley , he discusses how to select the appropriate ice melting production and how an informed determination can protect our water quality . Go to : http://www.ext.vt.edu / topics / lawn - garden / turfgrass / turfandgardentips / confidential information / ice - melt.html .
VDOT uses “ salt ” on icy roadstead from January to March . This is a precaution take on for the guard of those driving on dangerous roads . These ice melt compounds are ordinarily chloride based and are the cheapest and most readily uncommitted . city in our neighbourhood — such as Charlottesville – have condom ordinance require remotion of C from pavement within a specific fourth dimension . It is also important , though , to look at and reduce any unbecoming environmental effects these product may bring . In universal , the chloride salinity based product are not debate environmentally detrimental , but can be corrosive to cable car and pavement if not washed off . These products can also down wayside / curbside vegetation . Rainfall usually wash off away the corrosive effects of the table salt based products and should have a minimum environmental impact .
Another environmentally favorable defroster to consider for householder is calcium atomic number 12 acetate ( CMA ) , but it may be more hard to find and is dear . However , Dr. Goatley has found that some box stores have encouraged the use of products that can have a serious impact environmentally — garden or lawn plant food that arrest nitrogen ( N ) and phosphorus ( atomic number 15 ) . If you use these products as a defroster , you lay on the line adding these chemicals to our storm drainage systems , which will adversely affect water quality downstream , specifically the Chesapeake Bay . Snow moldAlthough it may be too late in February , next year remember to mow your gage jolly light at the end of the time of year . If the grass is leave behind too long , it will lie over on itself when coke make it . When this happens , air circulation around the plant is reduced and snow stamp , a destructive early springiness lawn disease , can become a problem in your lawn . It can cause large areas of grass to die , or at least weaken in vigour . This is fancy more often in northerly areas that have snow on the sens throughout most of the wintertime .
Using incisive mower leaf blade to prevent diseases from attacking , and proper fecundation prior to wintertime will help prevent the Charles Percy Snow mold fungus . For more data , go to the following podcast : http://www.ext.vt.edu / topics / lawn - garden / turfgrass / turfandgardentips / tips / Baron Snow of Leicester - mold.html
In sum-up :
So sit back for now … .. watch for Baron Snow of Leicester … … ordination seeds for your garden…….go skiing … because spring is right around the box .
source : Goatley , Mike . Podcast from Virginia Tech.http://www.ext.vt.edu/topics/lawn-garden/turfgrass/turfandgardentips/tips/my-turfs-on-ice.htmlGoatley , Mile . Podcast from Virginia Tech.http://www.ext.vt.edu/topics/lawn-garden/turfgrass/turfandgardentips/tips/ice-melt.htmlGoatley , Mike . Podcast from Virginia Tech . : http://www.ext.vt.edu/topics/lawn-garden/turfgrass/turfandgardentips/tips/Snow-mold.html
