My yard looks horrific! The beautiful white snow that covered its inadequacies has melted, leaving it exposed. Twigs (actually large branches) are visible, weeds are starting to green up, many shrubs have been decimated by rabbits and debris from the neighbor’s trash, a long forgotten plastic baseball bat, and the remnants of a snow fort all litter our yard. As the saying goes “confession is good for the soul.” I do feel a bit better now. Thank you.
We were hit with a difficult situation this winter, and we are now entering recovery. Our landscaping and lawns need our assistance this spring. To help with evaluating the state of your landscaping, I have prepared a “Winter Recovery Checklist.”
This checklist is your guide to helping your plants and lawn recover from the harsh winter. The first step in helping your plants and lawn recover is to identify any potential problems. Consider taking this checklist with you as you walk around your yard.
Rabbit damage – Rabbit pellets present? Chewed off branches on the ground directly under shrubs?
Broken branches on shrubs or trees – Do you see any branches beginning to break due to snow or ice? Do you see any branches on the ground?
Flowers raised – Are any of your perennial flowers raised up slightly from the freezing and thawing of the ground this winter?
Damage from snow plows – Is the ground disturbed near the driveway or street? Are any plants uprooted in those areas?
Salt damage – Keep an eye on plants closest to any areas in which salt is spread.
Lawn diseases – As your lawn starts to green up, keep an eye on areas that are matted down or slightly discolored. Snow mold (a fungal disease) damage looks like circular patches (3”-12”) of dead and matted grass.
Erosion from snow melting – Are there any areas where the soil and/or mulch have been washed away due to the damaging effects of water?
Evergreens now everbrown? – Wind and cold temperatures have caused the needles and leaves on evergreen shrubs and trees to discolor.
Damage in your lawn? – While the lawn was covered up due to snow, voles were busy eating the roots of the grass.
Frost cracking? – The trunks of trees may split during the winter due to expansion and contraction of the bark. Check the trunks of your trees for vertical splits. These are most prevalent on the south or west side of the trunk.
Over the next few columns I will address possible solutions to these situations. For this week, lawn damage will be discussed.
Voles, it seems, have spent the winter tunneling beneath and on top of our lawns. Voles look similar to mice, but have longer hair and a shorter tail. Damage to turf occurs during the winter season under snow.
During winters with lasting snow, this cover provides protection from predators, and they enjoy the freedom to construct elaborate ‘run way’ systems in our lawns. Vole damage causes the lawn to turn lighter in color and has the appearance of tunnels. Voles can also cause an extensive network of holes in your yard.
If you have vole damage to your yard, you may want to use a commercial vole repellent product. Molemax is the name of one such product. Mouse traps baited with peanut butter have also proved effective. Raking and re-seeding heavily damaged areas may assist your lawn in recovering. You may also need to fill in any holes with top soil.
• Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
