Have you ever sat in your home and stared out of your window and into your garden during the winter wondering how your grass is still alive despite the freezing temperatures and constant pouring rain? Well, there are a few reasons why your grass is able to survive the winter and the professionals here at Lawn & Weed Expert are here to tell you!
What does grass need to survive?
In order for grass to survive, it requires four things. These are:
- Water
- Sunlight
- Soil
- Nutrients
If these four elements are present, grass is able to survive. However, if one is absent, then grass will turn from green to brown and will die out. You can learn more about these four things in our recent blog post on what grass needs to live. So, during the winter, does grass continue to grow as it does during the earlier parts of the year? The answer to that question is no, it doesn't.
During the earlier parts of the year such as the summer, your grass is able to absorb all four elements above. It gets plenty of water when you water it, the sun is out for longer so provides extra sunlight, the surrounding soil is well-maintained and the higher temperatures provide the nutrients needed to grow. However, during the winter, not all of these elements are present. Most notably the higher temperatures.
Throughout winter, temperatures drop and sometimes by a fair bit. As a result, the grass on your lawn is unable to receive all of the things that it needs to continue growing. Remember when you studied photosynthesis during secondary school? Well, that's exactly what's happening here. All four elements need to present in order for your grass to grow. With the help of sunlight, moisture and carbon dioxide, your grass is able to produce chlorophyll which is fed to the grass blades IF the temperature of the ground is warm enough. When it is, the grass grows and distributes oxygen.
So, during the winter when the temperatures drop, the grass is unfortunately not able to feed on the chlorophyll, resulting in its growth stopping. Instead, the grass enters a dormant state, similar to when other animals hibernate. Here, it requires very little to survive, which is why it is able to keep itself alive during the colder months. Of course, if there is the odd day where the temperatures rise, your grass will take full advantage and store as many nutrients that it can get from the sun as possible.
Can grass die out during the winter?
As with any living organism, grass is more than capable of dying out during any time of the year if conditions allow it. If your grass stops getting the sunlight, water and nutrients it needs to just remain in a dormant state, then yes, it will most likely die during the winter. However, this is very unlikely if you keep an eye on it and make a conscious effort to keep it going until the weather starts to pick up and your grass starts to grow again.
Now that you know what your grass needs to survive and how it is able to stay alive during the winter, you won't have to worry about it changing colour or looking a little different than usual. It's just taking a little break, waiting for the warmer weather to return.
However, if you believe that your grass is in need of urgent care and attention, the team here at Lawn & Weed Expert are able to help with our professional winter lawn treatment. We can provide you with expert advice needed to keep your grass healthy and ready to grow again when the spring comes back around! If you think you'd benefit from our services, be sure to submit our simple enquiry form below and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible!
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