Ice Sculptures in the Landscape

It was surprising last week when I went walking in the morning and several houses in the neighborhood looked like the image above. I see the farmers coating their fields in ice, but to see half a dozen homes with lawns of sharp, pointy icicles was something new. 

So what does happen when we accidentally freeze our plants? Lawn is fine with a layer of frost and is adapted to being frozen with snow in the winter. But during the fall, lawn under goes a process to change from the flexible green leaves we love to a more durable brown leaf in the winter. The winter change helps the leaf blades to handle the freezing temperatures and moisture. Being coated in ice during the fall can cause cell damage to the leaf blades and, if stepped on, will break the grass blade. Damage in the fall can slow down the return from dormancy in the spring, allow for diseases or even cause lawn death.

So how do we care for our lawn in the fall? Never water lawn overnight when the temperatures will be near freezing. Lawns need less water starting in September and sometimes wont need additional water in October. If Mother Nature is not cooperating come October, consider watering, no more than once per week, during the day. Plants will take up the most nutrients and water between temperatures of 50 and 60 degrees. During the fall your plants are working to go into dormancy, part of dormancy is having less water, so over-watering in fall can cause your plants to not be ready for winter. Fall is also a good time to apply a fall fertilizer and aerate your lawn. In dry climates, like ours, lawns also like to be left a little long. If the lawn is too short, it will need more water during the winter and spring. If the lawn is too long (matting down), then the lawn will be more susceptible to disease and damage.  Fall is also a great time to spray those pesky weeds. Spraying weeds after the first frost and before dormancy will increase your chances of killing the weed roots and can decrease your weeds come spring. Putting the lawn to bed for winter in a healthy way will help it be stronger and greener come spring and summer.