The first day of spring was March 20. In many areas of the country, there are still ample amounts of snow and it feels very much like winter. Still, with spring weather fast approaching, one seasonally appropriate lawn care topic involves the dangers of too much rain.
What are the effects of too much rain?
First of all, there is no standard rainfall amount that qualifies as “too much.” That said, the combination of snow melting and the naturally vast amounts of rain in the spring can wreak havoc on your lawn. If you’ve received a huge amount of rain, check to see whether the grass greens up by the time that the soil dries. You also know that you have too much rain when the roots get drowned, and the soil becomes overly saturated. When soil gets overly drenched with water, it affects the oxygen flow and they can’t breathe properly. In turn, the grass gets overly thin and you also become more at risk of developing a lawn disease or insect infestation.
How can you save your lawn from getting damaged?
The most effective approach for dealing with excessive rain is to focus on prevention rather than recovery. Around this time of year, make sure that your gutters, storm drains, and grates are cleaned from any debris. You also want to remove any lingering dirt that might have accumulated during the long winter. If you have received huge rain, add soil to the low areas. It is imperative that you remove standing water (a rear blade works well for this.) After the rain dries, you may have to reseed and re-sod your lawn as well. In the end, the best defense against heavy rainfall is simply to have a stellar drainage system. Just remember: you can’t control the weather, but you can control how well you defend yourself against it.
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