When Things Get Extreme
How to Handle the Worst Weather for Your Turf
Grass, like many humans, isn’t into extremes. It likes to be in its comfort zone, and wants to avoid extreme conditions as much as possible. Research isn’t very conclusive, but it often feels like extreme weather happens more often these days.
Regardless of the frequency, extreme weather events happen, and your turf can fall victim to Mother Nature’s wrath. So, other than wrangling Mother Nature herself, how do you keep you and your turf safe?
How to Prepare
Ensure That You Have Proper Drainage
In the event of a lot of precipitation, make sure it has a place to go. Standing water can lead to short term turf damage from flooding, but also long-term problems, too. Standing water is more than a birdbath—it’s a breeding ground for harmful insects and turf diseases.
This might mean checking your entire drainage system (if you have one), but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. If your soil is compacted, aerating it can provide much needed aeration. Also, if your waterlogged turf is near a building, look into re-routing gutters to other areas that might need it more.
Leave The Grass Long… If You Can
Generally, taller grass is healthier grass. The more you mow it low, the more stressed it can become, especially in extreme periods of drought or cold. Longer grass is also beneficial in times of heat, so the grass can shield the soil and roots from the hot sun. This helps the soil absorb water before it evaporates.
Put the Freeze on Snow Mold
As late as possible in the fall, put down a snow mold application to help fight the disease come springtime. You can also use a grass seed that is resistant to snow mold, like Winning Colors Tall Fescue Blend from LebanonTurf.
Dealing With the Aftermath
Assess the Damage
After an extreme weather event, get out there and see what happened. Firstly, it helps you to diagnose the problems so you can clean up and get your turf back in good shape right away. But secondly, if you need to make an insurance claims, you’ll have to take pictures and document everything that’s been damaged on your property.
Use It As A Learning Experience
Do some trees get damaged more easily than others? Is one spot on your property prone to flooding? These are questions that only truly get answered when extreme weather strikes. So take notes and adapt. You’ll never remove all risk of property and turf damage, but you can minimize it.
Give Your Turf a Boost
To get turf back on its feet, it starts with the soil. As our own Chris Gray says, “Ultimately, fertilizers are fertilizing the soil, not the plant.” To help the soil recover from stress quickly and effectively, try ROOTS BioPack Plus from LebanonTurf. It’s a dry, water-soluble micronutrient treatment that includes beneficial rhizosphere bacteria and 3-0-20 N-P-K fertilizer. It helps turf and plants resist and recover from stress, and provides minerals needed in the soil for new root growth.
More and stronger roots lead to turf and plants that can better withstand weather extremes.
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