Common Winter Lawn Damage

Your Burlington inground irrigation system is just like any other home investment – it needs to be maintained and routinely checked.  Winters can be unfriendly to grass and sprinklers, causing damage that – luckily! – can be fixed in the spring with good maintenance and a properly running irrigation system.

Kinds of Winter Damage
There are a few things you'll want to watch out for:

  • Frozen turf grass
  • Dehydration from intense winds
  • Torn plant tissues from ice
  • Burrows from critters
  • Sand or salt damage in grass
  • Winter diseases

Finally, with weather conditions that can't seem to make up their mind between cold and warm, your grass's naturally dormant state for winter can become confused.  This can severely affect the health of your grass, as its regular routines to stay healthy are lost.

Can This Have a Long-term Impact?
Winter damage can seriously weaken the health of your grass, making it more susceptible to lawn diseases and insect invasions. If your grass's roots have been weakened, it will become an easier target for strangulation by weeds and you may begin to find thin patchy areas. 

How Can These Problems be Solved?
To prevent damage, you need to begin with a healthy lawn.  Overseed with a sturdier grass before the winter months, and make sure the lawn is only around 2 inches in height to avoid attracting rodents to inhabit your lawn.  Before winter arrives, fix the drainage systems in your yard.  If your lawn doesn't have proper drainage, you're encouraging an excess of water and ice to settle. 

When winter leaves, it's time to dethatch, overseed, and adjust your Burlington inground irrigation system so that your lawn is getting the most out of your sprinkler.  You'll want your system to water your lawn deeply to create deep and strong roots for your grass to overcome that damage. That's the most important step so that the rest of your damage repair doesn't go to waste.

Watch how much you water in the spring.  Some damage to your lawn may have been done due to diseases that were bred in damp conditions.  You'll want to talk to your Nutri-Lawn expert to make sure that your watering schedule is properly adjusted to fit your lawn's needs.  This may include an adjusted fertilization and aeration method as well, to make sure your grass is being properly provided for.

Burlington Inground Irrigation System Winter Damage
Like anything else, your Burlington inground irrigation system is vulnerable to damage in the winter.  If your system hasn't been properly winterized your system may have experienced severe freezing that has left its mark on the quality of your irrigation.  Here are the three most common issues after winter:

  • Damaged sprinkler heads
  • Cracked pipelines
  • Clogged sprinkler heads

Some signs to watch for are:

  • Hissing or other noises emanating from your system
  • Evident damage to sprinkler heads
  • Heads that aren't working properly
    • This can be either heads that have low pressure, or that aren't popping up when the system starts.
  • Cracked or leaking valves
  • If water is running right off your lawn, or coming to the surface

If you want to make sure your Burlington inground irrigation system is in good working order before you begin spring gardening, you'll want to contact Nutri-Lawn for a maintenance review.

For the best customer service in Burlington inground irrigation system maintenance and installation, contact Nutri-Lawn today for your free consultation!