I’m a gardening expert – the cold weather tips that will keep your lawn safe til spring, including salt safety
DON’T be discouraged by the layer of frost that keeps reappearing on your lawn or in your garden.
Follow the tips from one outdoor expert and come spring, your yard will bounce back in no time.
It only takes three easy steps to protect your plants from cold and show, said Suhail Patel, gardening expert and founder of Luxury Screens.
First, be ready to bring the outside in – and make sure to do your research first.
You could be surprised by which plants can stand through the weather in your garden and which need shelter.
“Find out which ones should be moved indoors during the big freeze,” Patel advised.
“While some plants are quite happy to stay outside in cold weather, others won’t fare so well and will need to be taken inside,” he added.
You may also be surprised to learn that the grass on your lawn also requires delicate treatment, even after it dies out in the fall.
Once a cold snap hits or precipitation on the ground freezes over, you need to keep off the grass, Patel warned.
“Although the crunch of boots on frozen grass and plants may be satisfying, it’s not such good news for your greenery,” he said.
Walking on icy or frozen grass – or even on soil – can easily damage plants right down to the root, he said.
In addition, this can end up causing long-term damage you’ll be fighting all spring.
By stepping on frozen ground, you risk “compacting the soil and thereby cutting off the water supply necessary to keep your plants healthy.”
Patel acknowledged that you may face some temptation to sprinkle salt on the grass to melt snow.
After all, it works on sidewalks and driveways.
But direct salt application, or reckless sprinkling, can stop your plants from coming back when warm weather returns.
“Aways avoid using salt on an icy garden,” Patel said. “This can damage some plants, particularly evergreens, and prevent regrowth.”