During the next month or so, the snow and ice that’s been covering the ground in much of Minnesota will begin to disappear due to the arrival of warmer weather. And as we all know, the grass won’t necessarily reappear vibrant and green, but instead will most likely look brown and dead. So how do you get it back to how it was before the winter?

Dormant VS Dead

First of all, it’s important to understand the difference between dormant and dead grass. Dormant grass looks brown and dead, but is only hibernating. Grass will become dormant when conditions are either too cold or too hot. Once the snow disappears after winter, your grass should start to turn green once again. On the other hand, dead grass won’t recover and instead, will remain brown long after the warmer weather sets in.

Rake your lawn

By providing your lawn with a light raking once it’s no longer frozen, you can help the blades stand up and increase the lawn’s exposure to the sun.

Irrigate

To help your grass recover from dormancy, make sure you’re properly irrigating it. Try not to do it too soon after the icy conditions disappear, however. Wait until the weather is moderately warm and the ground is dry.

Fertilize

Fertilizing targets your grass at the roots – providing nutrients that help sprout growth as you head closer towards those warmer months.

Give your lawn a light trim

Never cut your lawn too soon after the end of winter. Instead, make sure that it has at least grown a few inches. Once you’re ready, adjust your lawnmower’s blade so it only lightly trims the grass. By cutting the grass too much at first, you can cause damage. But by providing a light trim, you can effectively rid the lawn of any complications that may have arrived during winter.

Get rid of dead patches

After the spring sets in, you may notice that small patches of your lawn still look brown. These spots are usually circular and you’ll want to remove them. To do so, detach and either lay down new sod or reseed the area.