Winter Dormancy

Winter Dormancy

Turfgrass enters into dormancy during the winter to protect itself from seasonal elements. Winter dormancy causes lawns to turn yellow or brown, causing homeowners to worry about greening up their lawns as soon as possible. The first thing you can do to help your lawn come out of dormancy is to minimize all traffic. You should remove all objects from your lawn and prohibit all unnecessary activities. In addition, make sure to remove your homemade ice rinks from your property over the winter to avoid damage from the tarp covering the lawn when the weather warms up.

When the lawn has dried out after a few consecutive sunny warm days, you can start enjoying it. You should first rake or use a leaf blower to fluff up your matted lawn. It effectively removes winter debris and allows fresh air to pass through the thatch and into the root zone. Although thatch protects grass crowns and roots from strong winds, cold, and winter and summer extremes, too much thatch or matted thatch can block air and light.