Restoring Life to Your Yard After a Deep Freeze

January 1, 2019

This year, winter storms hit New England particularly hard, and many homeowners still struggle with keeping up their lawn maintenance when faced with extreme amounts of snow and ice. Those who did not have time to adequately prepare beforehand may now be facing dead spots, cracked limbs and other damages that make landscaping repair a necessity. If winter took a toll on your yard this season, then here is how to get started restoring your yard back to life after the deep freeze.

Trim Dead or Broken Limbs

Even healthy, well-established trees and shrubs may not have been able to withstand this winter’s barrage of ice. If your limbs have broken or cracked under the heavy weight of ice and snow accumulation, then now is the time to trim them back. When doing so, pay special attention to limbs that overhang your roof and other structures so that further damage is prevented when spring storms arrive.

Remove Sand and Pebbles

Your snow blower likely got a lot of use this year, but now that it has done its job, you will need to remove the sand and pebbles that may have blown into your yard. If left alone, this fine layer of debris can block sunlight and water from reaching your grass. To avoid dead spots, The Family Handyman recommend using an outdoor vacuum to remove any gravel or sand that lines the grass alongside your driveway and street.

Loosen Compacted Soil

Accumulating snow and ice is heavy and the weight of it has likely caused your soil to become compacted which can hinder plant growth. In grass-filled areas of your yard, tilling the soil is not possible. Instead, you can loosen the compacted soil by using a spreader to disperse gypsum throughout your lawn. Starting from the driveway and covering to 10-feet back, use a broadcast spreader to make sure all essential areas are covered.

Now that the worst of winter is over in New England, it is important to get an early start on repairing the damage before spring. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time to work on any areas that have been damaged by freezing temperatures and precipitation so that your lawn will be lush and ready for spring planting season!