Snow, what is it good for?
For most people who are not professional skiers, snowblower salesmen or 5-year-olds who want to go sledding 24/7, the answer is nothing.
But for your lawn, believe it or not, snow can be a godsend, a natural fertilizer and insulator that protects it from the winter’s harshest elements and prepares it be reborn green, lush and healthy come spring.
Why the thought that snow is actually helping your lawn won’t lessen the pain and aggravation of shoveling out of February’s latest snowstorm, it’s reassuring news that your lawn will return strong this April.
As The Old Farmer’s Almanac puts it, snow is a “poor man’s fertilizer.”
A Natural Grass Nutritionist
The headaches of severe weather — snow, rain, sleet, lightning and hail do, believe it or not, have their positive attributes. They all collect nitrogen, sulfur and other nutrients as they pass through the atmosphere. They bring these nutrients to the ground, then the soil and then grass.
Snow can provide up to five pounds of nitrogen per acre of land throughout a season.
Insulation From Old Man Winter
A cold snow blanket actually protects soil from turning to concrete dirt ice when the thermostat plunges below zero. Snow defends against wide temperature fluctuations under the soil.
In contrast, a lawn without a snow cover endures winter’s freezing blast in full arctic stereo. When winter temperatures drive low and wind speeds go high, moisture is drawn from green grass roots. This results in lawns drying up and can result in foundation damage.
A snow blanket prevents this lawn health disaster.
“Despite how cold it feels to the skin, it is an excellent insulator of the soil,” Almanac.com’s Robin Sweetser writes.
A Soggy Spring Forecast
With Iowa snow levels running around or just under seasonal averages, your lawn could get a growth spurt jump start this spring. Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting a wet season they are predicting will be a “soggy, shivery spring.”
Who knew that this latest Iowa snowstorm could actually be helping your lawn prepare for a beautiful return this spring?
Friends, we now return you to your agonizing shoveling with this reassurement: This snow too shall pass.
For more information, contact Creekside Turf Management for a free consultation.
