Does snow fertilize a lawn?

Have you ever heard the old adage that snow is Poor Man's fertilizer? Well, it actually is!  But not to the extent that you would find in a standard application of fertilizer.

Snow, rain, sleet, lightning and hail all collect Nitrogen, Sulfur and other nutrients as they pass through the atmosphere. It brings these nutrients to the ground, then your soil and then your grass. 

While you can't count it as a full application, snow can supply up to 5 pounds of nitrogen per acre of land throughout a season. 

Preserve Water:

When temperatures get low and wind speed gets high moisture is drawn from the grass plants causing the lawn to try out and possibly result in damage.  Your snow blanket will help prevent this from happening.

How does snow protect tree roots? 

When the ground is frozen, snow will act as a blanket over your lawn and help protect it from Winter threats.

Throughout winter as your soil freezes and thaws it can expose the roots of your grass to damage.

Having snow cover over those roots will help protect them as they settle back down in the spring and get ready to provide nutrients to your grass giving you a beautiful lawn that is also strong. 

Snow provides irrigation for your lawn:

Snow helps to preserve moisture in the soil which will eventually provide that needed water to the soil and your grass as it melts in the spring.

Having moisture available first thing in the spring is critical for that early spring green-up that we are all looking forward to after a hard winter with cold temperatures. 

Snow Seeding or Dormant Seeding:

Believe it or not, snow seeding is a form of dormant seeding! Broadcast spread seeds over patchy areas that need an extra boost and allow the melting snow to bring them down to the soil. 

• Top 10 Benefits of Dormant Seeding

Color

After a Summer like 2020 where we saw parts of Lawns go brown, some parts stay green, and some parts just were bare dirt, most people with Lawns just wanted to see consistency. Well, snow gives you that consistent beautiful white color outside your window to enjoy until that early Spring Green-Up comes!

Bottom line:  Yes, snow is very beneficial to your lawn but there is no substitute to a slow and continuous fertilization throughout the year if you want the most performance and darkest color grass.

Snow can comes with a few downsides such as snow mold and a protective cover for insect populations that could damage your lawn so as always, just keep an eye out!

Related Articles:

• Winter Lawn Care Tips
• Dormant vs Dead Grass

Since 2007, Green Meadow Lawn Care has provided homeowners throughout the greater Tolland, Connecticut area with premium fertilization programs, tick control, mosquito management, seeding & aeration and tree & shrub care. 

Visit our Learning Center to find out more about how our services can help you or visit our Youtube Channel to view more in our Learning Center Series.

To speak to our Customer Service Manager, please call Dave (view Dave's video bio here) with any questions. Dave has been in the industry for 30 years and is always happy to help with his expert advice.  

860-870-5700