Winter Grass Damage From Snow Removal - Winter 2019

We had a weird Fall this year - with some warm temperatures then cold temperatures then back to warm.  And then there was the early November snow event that came when many of the trees in our neighborhood still had almost all of their leaves on the limbs.  That caused a bunch of snow damage including taking down a good-sized major limb from one of the big Oak trees in our backyard.  When I say 'good-size', I'm talking about 40+ years old.  Check out the photos in the post to see the growth rings.

But that tree damage was just one part of the lasting impact on the yard.  The other you can see in this photo above.  When the snow arrived, I did like I do pretty often:  created a little path out back for Lizzie.  If I don't make her a little path, she doesn't get out in the yard to do her business very easily.  Yes...she's a wimp.  Through and through.

And...I also normally cut or shovel a path that gets us to our bird feeder so we can fill it in the mornings.  I'd rather not have to trounce through the snow to get to the feeder if we can help it.

If you look at the photo at the top, you'll see the path that I shoveled off the grass and it ends right at the foot of our bird feeder pole.  Didn't think much of it.

Until...about a month ago, when the snow was gone, but the brown strip emerged.  Compare this with the photo of the yard from early October when I put down the Sunday granular beta product.  That photo is #nofilter.  And you can really tell that the grass green'd up pretty good this season. 

What you see is winter cold damage.  At least...that's what I think it is.

We must have had a cold snap that came in after the snow arrived that zapped the lawn.  Where the snow was laying, the grass and lawn were insulated.  Where I shoveled them?  Browned out.  And in total dormancy.

Will it recover in the Spring?  I'm thinking so.  But, I'll post this in the [garden diary] here to track when the green-up happens, so we can see what kind of lasting (or not-lasting) impact that removing the snow does on your grass.  Like last year, I'm going to try to let the grass 'green up' naturally and avoid feeding it until Memorial Day.  This patch will be a good case study to watch.