Already the young shoots of the early flowering fall planted bulbs are shooting out of the soil and in some cases through the snow. Appropriately named snowdrops, winter aconite, glory of the snow, are the first to bloom followed closely by crocus, and scillia. Along with the beauty comes the not so pretty hazards of winter that can occur under the snow and is only revealed when the snow melts. In the lawn you may find snow mold which looks like tiny cobwebs or cotton fluff that lays just above the surface of the old grass. It is pinkish/grey in colour. It can occur when there is heavy snowfalls on unfrozen ground, or in shaded areas of the lawn where it takes longer for the snow to melt or where the snow has been piled up. Its when the soil remains wet for a long period of time. What you can do is spread the snow out so that it melts more quickly but the snow mold is rarely a problem as it normally does not kill the grass. What can happen is that it takes a little longer for the grass to green up but once the area is dry the snow mold disappears and with a little tender care of some fertilizer the area will quickly recover.
Rodents can also make a mess of the lawn by making little 'runways' or channels in the old grass over the winter months. These runways are created by voles which are similar to mice but have a short tail and a stocky body. Over the winter the voles will dig up the grass and roots to eat and nest in and then in the spring you are left with an uneven lawn. The best thing to do is wait for the soil and grass to be dry before starting any lawn work. When conditions are right rake out all the old leftover debris and then top dress the area with a good quality outdoor soil. The grass should quickly fill in and if you want you can also reseed the damaged areas use a play turf mix that will blend in with the existing grass.
Winter damage on the lawn can also be caused by the products that were used over the winter months to get rid of ice which contain salt. Too much salt in the soil will prevent things from growing including the grass. The soil needs to be neutralized or washed out thoroughly with water. Neutralizing the soil can be done quite easily with a product called 'Salt Stopper', a naturally-mined Calcium Magnesium Sulphate. Wait for the soil and grass to be completely dry and then get a rake and rake out all the thatch. When the area has been cleaned, sprinkle the Salt Stopper over the area and then water it in. This product is also ideal for pet owners who have dogs and cats that urinate in the same area causing the salt content to build up in the soil.
It is still too early to work on the lawn because you need to wait till the soil and grass is dry. Thatching, raking, fertilizer will have to wait for a couple of weeks depending on conditions but check under overhangs, and building foundations where the soil may become too dry and these areas should be given water if there are plants growing there.
