Spring Brings Messy Lawns

Spring may have sprung, but it will be hard to forget a long winter after you look at your lawn.

Saturated grass, downed tree limbs and snow mold are all effects of a brutal winter that MSU consumer horticulturists are finding hard to top.

"There's been some very severe low temperatures this winter, there were heavy winds, heavy snow loads, so we will see damage later in the spring," said Consumer Horticulturist Bob Bricault.

"There hasn't been a thaw," agreed Consumer Horticulturist Rebecca Krans. "We've had lots of snow and wind, which causes drying, desiccation of tissues."

Snow mold, which forms under snow cover, plagues Dana Davis's lawn in Mason. The horticulturist's yard is dotted with brown spots. But it looks worse than it is, Davis said.

"It's not a big deal," he said. "Usually a light raking and the grass will recuperate and a little fertilizer."

Occasionally, the grass will require some reseeding, Davis said, but the bigger pain will be in clearing up damage from salt and plows, something that could also make a dent in the checkbook.

"Peoples' budgets have been crunched because of snow removal," he said. "So this cleanup and all this snow is really challenging peoples' budgets."

But for many lawn companies, the cleanup can't start for several more weeks. Davis says he's expecting his employer, Outdoor Specialties, will be pushed back 2-3 weeks.

"In the green industry, it just means when the weather's nice we've gotta hustle a little harder to get caught up," he said. "It's always a challenge. Mother Nature's not often kind."

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Spring Brings Messy Lawns