How to Care for Your Dormant Grass in Winter in Idaho

Sshhhhhh. Your grass is sleeping.

It worked hard all summer, growing, staying nice and green, cushioning your bare feet.

Now, tucked under a fluffy white blanket of snow, (isn’t it adorable?) it deserves a break, right?

So, do you need to do anything for your winter dormant grass?

How to care for dormant grass in winter?

(Let’s talk quietly, so we don’t wake it up.)

A Quick Review: Dead vs Dormant Grass

You know how bears hunker down and hibernate for the winter? Your grass settles in for a long winter nap, too.

It’s not dead. It’s just dormant.

 
Once the Idaho deep freeze is over, the temperature rises in spring, and it gets water, your dormant grass will start to grow and green up again.

Meanwhile, how do you care for grass in winter? Mostly, let it rest. Keep a few tips in mind:

Give Your Lawn a Winter Break

Your winter dormant grass is pretty tough, but winter is a great time to really let it rest.

Cut down on the foot traffic. It got trampled a lot from summer parties and fall football fun.

Don’t use it for storing heavy things, like your freezer that died or that time travel- machine you invented. That will compact the soil, making it tougher for it to stretch its roots out in the spring when the ground starts to thaw.

Keep Salt off of Your Grass

Yes, icy sidewalks are scary, but be wise about your use of sidewalk salt and de-icers.

Use only as much as you need, and do your best to keep it on the pavement and off your dormant winter grass.

The salt and chemicals can damage your lawn and you’ll discover it in the spring when you’re greeted with dead spots in your grass.

They’re harmful to the environment, too, when they make their way into the water system. So go easy.

Care for Winter Grass: Spread Out the Snow

Keep an eye out for bigger piles of snow and ice that stick around on your dormant grass toward the end of winter. Give the spring melting process a nudge by spreading out the taller piles into a more even layer.

Those heavier piles can compact your soil and encourage lawn fungus, like snow mold, to form once temperatures warm up.

You want your winter dormant grass to start breathing and stretching out its roots as soon as possible in the spring.

But…

Take It Easy When Reviving Your Winter Grass

Spring! It’s a real celebration here in Idaho, right?

If you celebrate by rummaging in the garage for your lawn mower and sprinklers, calm down. (Also, think about improving your celebrating.)

 
If you were just sleeping for four or five months, would you want to be abruptly jarred awake?

Go easy on your lawn in early spring. It needs to stretch and wake up a bit.

Don’t mow too early. If you jump in and mow your lawn too soon, you can actually damage it and make it susceptible to disease. Same goes for raking. Wait until it dries out a bit.

Set Up Your Lawn Care Plan

While your dormant winter grass slumbers, it’s a great time to think back on the season, take note of the trouble spots, and set up a lawn care plan to tackle any problems and set your lawn up to thrive next season.

Did you battle more weeds than usual? Invaded by pests? Did your lawn never quite green up the way you hoped?

Remember, lawn care kicks in big time in early spring, with fertilizer, weed control and grub control.

Be ready.

Is Your Idaho Lawn Ready for a New Best Friend?

Your lawn knows winter is great for naps. Be sure to sneak in a few cozy ones yourself.

But don’t sleep on setting up your lawn care.

Let us make it easy.

If you want simple, hassle-free lawn care that offers quality core lawn care services for a healthy green lawn, it doesn’t get easier than Lawn Buddies.

No stressing about which complicated combination of lawn care services will get your lawn back to its beautiful green again.

You don’t have time to fuss with all that. Give yourself a break.

Welcome to one premium six-visit lawn care program that includes everything your lawn needs to grow healthy and green.

Fertilizer, weed treatments, and grub control, all wrapped up in six visits, each perfectly timed throughout the season, so your grass is green and strong and resists weeds.

Choose a professional lawn care service in the Idaho Falls or Boise, ID area that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan that tells you the cost upfront.

We’ve got your back.

Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started.

You can fill out the form on this page. or call us at (208) 656-913.

Then kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.

Image Source: snow pile