How to Repair Winter Damage in Your Lawn (Step by Step Guide)

Winter can play a mean game of freeze tag with your lawn, and guess what? Your grass is “it.” So, after the chill, how do you repair winter damage in your lawn? 

Kick-start your lawn recovery by spotting the problem areas: bald spots, yellow or brown grass, and signs of pest damage. To repair it, remove dead grass and debris, rake to improve air circulation, patch those bare areas with seeds, and remember to water thoroughly. Aerate, if needed, to reduce compaction.

Step 1. Time your lawn repairs

If you want to make sure your lawn repair efforts don’t go to waste, you have to time them correctly.

As the USGA Green Section Record points out, “Soil and air temperatures are the gatekeepers for turfgrass growth. Beginning recovery efforts before sufficiently warm temperatures arrive will not yield good results.”

So, it’s important to wait until the ground and air are warm enough. To give your grass the best chance at making a comeback, wait for soil temperatures of 50 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit and air temps between 57 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pro Tip: Allow your lawn to dry a bit during the first warm days of spring. As the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture suggests, letting “lawns to start to go under mild drought stress actually increases rooting.” You’ll know it’s time to start repairing your lawn when footprints stick after walking on it.

Step 2. Assess the damage

Once it becomes warm enough, it’s time to assess the damage. Simply walk carefully around your yard and take a good look around. You’ll want to pay close attention to any bare spots where grass should grow but isn’t.

Winter damage often targets certain areas of your home lawn more than others. These commonly affected areas include:

• Low spots that accumulate water, leading to ice formation.
• Lawn patches that experience high foot traffic, causing stress on grass.
• Areas exposed to deicing salts near sidewalks and driveways.
• Portions with unbalanced nutrient levels or disease-susceptible turfgrasses.
• Especially shady spots where cool temperatures persist for longer periods.

Signs of winter damage to watch out for:

• Thinned patches: Sparse spots can hint at winter stress.
• Color changes: Yellow or brown grass is a clear distress signal.
• Indicators of disease: Circular, discolored, or fuzzy areas suggest fungal diseases. 
• Pest evidence: Look out for tunnels, mounds, or chewed plants indicative of pests. 

*Note: If you see dark or yellowish areas, that’s usually a sign of winterkill, which means those parts of your lawn didn’t survive the cold season. 

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure about a specific area, simply try gently tugging at the grass. If it pulls out easily with loose roots, then that’s a sign of dead grass that needs replacement.

Step 3. Identify the cause of winter damage

The type of damage your lawn has suffered will determine what action you need to take next. Maybe it’s a fungus problem, or perhaps your lawn has been a victim of voles. 

Sometimes, the harsh cold wind and freezing temperatures might simply be too much for your lawn to bear, causing “winterkill,” or wide-spread grass death. 

*Note: If you prepared correctly in the fall and had a milder winter, your lawn might just need basic cleanup and feeding to get back to great shape.

Depending on the cause, you might need a targeted approach for repairs.  Here are some main causes and their traits:

Snow mold

Snow mold is a fungus that creates round, flat, discolored spots in your grass once the snow melts.

Snow mold repair: Snow mold often heals as the weather warms. Just rake lightly for air and sun, or reseed if needed.

*Note: Preventive treatments in the fall can also be helpful if you’ve noticed snow mold is a recurring issue. Here are our complete guides:

• “What is Pink Snow Mold?” 
• “How to Treat Lawn Fungus.”
• “What is Gray Snow Mold and How Do You Get Rid of It?”

Thatch buildup

Thatch is a layer of dead grass, roots, and debris that can build up on top of the soil surface. When it gets too thick (more than half an inch), it prevents water, air, and nutrients from reaching the grassroots. 

Thatch buildup solution: If there’s a light thatch, rake it out. For heavier buildup, rent a dethatcher or use a thatch rake. (Check out our complete guide on “How to Dethatch Your Lawn.”)

Crown hydration

This is a fancy term for when grass absorbs too much water right before a freeze, causing ice to form inside the plant and potentially damage or kill it. 

Usually, crown hydration damage shows as irregularly shaped patches of discolored or wilted grass across your lawn.

Crown hydration solution: Unfortunately, once this kind of damage is done, those areas will need to be reseeded or resodded. 

Winter desiccation

Winter desiccation happens when dry winds blow over lawns in cold temperatures without a protective layer of snow. The moisture from the grass evaporates, but the frozen soil prevents it from absorbing more water. This damages or kills the grass.

The lawns are mostly brown, with a few patches of green grass here and there. 

Winter desiccation repair: Generally, repairing winter desiccation damage involves raking dead grass, reseeding, or resodding the impacted areas of your lawn. 

Ice sheets

When ice sheets form over your lawn for extended periods, it can lead to the death of your grass. Remember, your lawn damage may vary, depending on the type of grass and how long the icy conditions lasted. Some grass may bounce back by itself if the crown is still alive.

Ice sheets repair: When it’s freezing, you can’t do much. Once it’s warm, rake out dead grass and reseed or replace sod in the area.

Voles 

These small rodents create a network of surface runways, and when the snow melts, you’re left with these unsightly paths crisscrossing your lawn.

Voles repair: Fix vole damage by raking out dead grass, filling trails with topsoil, and reseeding affected areas. 

Pro Tip: Consider installing barriers or using repellents to prevent future infestations. (Check out our article titled “How to Get Rid of Voles in Your Yard”)

Salt damage

During winter, road salt can harm your lawn. Especially near walkways and driveways, it turns the grass from green to brown or yellow. The reason? It’s simple: The salt strips moisture from the turf’s roots, causing them to dehydrate and die. More so, it modifies soil conditions, making it harder for grass to absorb nutrients.

Salt damage repair: Apply gypsum to help neutralize the salt. Then, flush affected areas with water to dilute salt concentration.

Step 4. Rake and remove debris

No matter what culprit caused your winter lawn damage, always rake any dead grass, sticks, leaves, or other waste out of the way. This helps create a clear path for new grass to grow.

When raking, just be gentle so you don’t tug out any healthy grass that may be starting to sprout up. A leaf rake can work well for this task, as they are usually lighter and easier to handle than larger rakes. 

If your old rake seems unfit for the task, check out our article “The 6 Best Leaf Rakes for The Lawn and Garden.”

Step 5. Test the soil

After clearing away the old, dead grass and debris, it’s time to check the soil. Soil testing is a simple method you can use to check the pH values and nutrient levels of your soil. Knowing these values helps you understand what your lawn might need.

Pro tip: Remember, a balanced pH improves nutrient availability for your grass, promoting healthy growth and recovery from winter damage. A healthy soil pH level should be around 6.0 to 7.5 for most types of grass, allowing optimal nutrient absorption.

You can quickly find a soil testing kit online, at your local garden store, or through your local cooperative extension office.

If you need guidance, check our guides: 

• “How to Soil Test Your Lawn”
• “How to Read a Soil Test Report” 
• “What Type of Lawn Fertilizer Do You Need?”
• “Fertilizer Basics: What to Look for in Your Fertilizer” 
• “Fertilizer 101: How to Fertilize Your Lawn”  

Step 6. Aerate the soil (if needed)

The freezing winter can harden your soil, blocking the passage of air and water to the grassroots. Aerating makes small holes in the ground to loosen this compacted soil.

But how do you know if it’s time for aeration? Simple – try poking a screwdriver into your soil. If it’s a struggle, then you need to aerate. 

You can use a handheld aerator tool for smaller lawns or compacted patches. For larger areas or stiff soils, think about renting an aerating machine from your local store.

*Note: For aeration, you can opt for either core or spike aeration. Core aeration removes soil plugs and improves overall soil health by reducing compaction. Alternatively, spike aeration just pokes holes in the ground, which is useful for minor compaction but less effective than core aeration. (Check out our guide on “Core Aeration vs. Spike Aeration”) 

For further guidance, consider reading our detailed guides:

• “When to Aerate Your Lawn” 
• “How to Aerate a Lawn by Hand” 
• “Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn” 

Step 7. Reseed or sod the lawn (if needed)

If bare patches are plaguing your lawn thanks to winterkill, voles, or ice sheets, it’s time to fill them with suitable seeds for your lawn and climate. Look out – weeds and crabgrass will take any bare spot if you don’t get your grass seed in there first.

To re-seed, spread seeds evenly over the bare spots and rake lightly using a hard-tooth rake. Remember to water regularly until they sprout. 

If winter was hard on your lawn and left extensive damage, try laying sod. It’s quicker than seeding but needs constant watering to help the roots establish.

For more information on lawn seeding and sodding, check out our articles:

• “How to Overseed a Lawn”
• “Reseeding vs. Overseeding a Lawn”
• “How to Plant Grass Seed“ 
• “How to Install Sod”
• “10 Benefits of Overseeding”
• “Overseeding in Spring” 
• “Seasonal Guide: Overseeding your Lawn in Fall, Summer, and Winter”
• “Grass Seed vs. Sod” 
• “Should You Sod, Seed, or Hydroseed?” 
• “How Much Does Sod Cost to Install?”

Step 8. Apply fertilizer

Once you’ve seeded or laid sod on the bare spots, apply starter fertilizer to these areas.  For your existing lawn that just needs a spring nutrition boost, use a suitable mix directed by your soil test results.

Pro Tip: Instead of using traditional fertilizers, Chris Enroth, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, suggests spreading a thin layer (about an inch) of compost across your entire lawn. He also shares, “After spreading the compost, I will drag a leaf rake over the lawn to ensure the grass seed makes good soil contact and to work the compost down into the turf.”

If you want to learn more about how to properly apply fertilizers or use compost, check out our detailed articles:

• “A Complete Guide to Fertilizing New Grass”
• “When to Apply Starter Fertilizer”
• “What Is Compost and How to Use It”
• “How to Compost for Your Lawn and Garden”    

Step 9. Water properly and wait to mow

Now comes the easy part. Remember, until germination, water fresh grass seed lightly two to four times daily for about 5 to 10 minutes. Aim for one-eighth to one-quarter inches of water each day and adjust accordingly based on soil type and weather conditions.

Keep this watering practice until you notice new grass starts appearing, then adjust to a regular watering schedule. (Read our complete guide on “How Often to Water Grass Seed.”) 

Once the new grass starts growing, wait till it reaches about 3 inches before mowing to let the roots establish. (Here is our guide on “How Long After Overseeding Can I Mow?”)

FAQ about repairing winter damage

How can you prevent winterkill?

Preventing winterkill issues calls for year-round attention and careful winterizing. Best practices include:

• Keep off the grass: Limit foot traffic during winter to avoid damaging dormant grass.
• Improve drainage: This prevents water from collecting and freezing in low spots.
• Apply proper disease treatments: Properly use good-quality winter disease protection, such as fungicides, to help ward off snow mold.
• Strengthen your turf: A winter fertilizer application helps to keep the grass healthy through the cold season. (Here is our complete article titled “When Should You Apply Winter Fertilizer?”) 
• Choose salt-tolerant grass: In areas prone to road salt or harsh coastal regions like Rhode Island, opting for such resistant varieties can help mitigate winter damage and maintain a healthier lawn throughout the year.

Can brown grass turn green again?

Yes, brown grass can turn green with proper care. It might take water, nutrients, or just some time to recover. If the roots are alive, chances are you’ll see that beautiful green shade return. (Check out our article “How to Get Rid of Brown Spots in Your Lawn.”) 

Can grass grow back after dying?

No. If the grassroots are dead, your grass is dead. In this case, you’ll need to reseed or lay new sod for fresh and healthy growth. (Here is our complete guide on “How to Bring Grass Back to Life.”) 

Hire a lawn care professional

Fixing your lawn after winter damage involves assessing the troubles, getting rid of debris, and checking the soil’s health. Sometimes, you’ll have to aerate or plant new seeds. If your yard has a few brown spots but the roots underneath are still good, a little raking can do the trick. 

For extensive damage or if you’re unsure what steps to take next, it’s best to hire a lawn care professional. Lawn Love can link you with the best local lawn care experts who know how to get lawns back into tip-top shape after a long, cold winter.

Main Photo Credit: Stockvault