Snow and Salt Damage: How Winter Takes a Toll on Your Lawn

Winter might look beautiful with snow-covered lawns, but underneath the white blanket, your grass can be quietly struggling. Snow and ice, combined with salt from sidewalks and roads, can create conditions that stress or even kill your turf.

When snow melts, salt from road treatments often seeps into your lawn. These salts can pull moisture away from grass roots, leaving them dehydrated and weak. Heavy snow can also compact the soil, reducing oxygen and slowing root growth. Together, these factors can result in thin, brown patches, brittle grass blades, and soil that’s less able to support healthy growth.

You may notice:

• Brown, straw-like grass along driveways or sidewalks

• White crusty residues on the soil surface

• Areas where grass seems sparse or slow to green up

While the damage can be frustrating, there are ways to help your lawn recover as the season changes. One important tool is NutraSoft OP® Gypsum. NutraSoft works to balance soil chemistry, displace harmful sodium from salt, and improve structure so roots can grow stronger and healthier.

Other helpful steps include:

• Flushing affected areas: Watering can help leach salt from soil.

• Aeration: Breaks up compacted soil and improves oxygen flow to roots.

• Overseeding or patching thin spots: Helps fill in damaged areas for a more uniform lawn.

You can reduce the impact of winter on your lawn by shoveling promptly, using less harmful de-icing options near turf, and conditioning your soil in early spring with products like NutraSoft OP Gypsum. Healthy soil is more resilient and better equipped to withstand winter stress.

Even if your lawn looks a little rough after winter snow and salt, focusing on soil health and giving the roots time to bounce back will make a big difference once spring really kicks in.