Will Frost Kill Grass Seed? How to Protect Your New Grass

One of the best things that you can do for your New England lawn each year is to have it aerated and overseeded. This annual service has a lot of great benefits for your lawn including alleviating compaction and introducing new-and-improved grass types into your lawn.

But considering overseeding is best performed in the fall, you might be wondering: will frost kill grass seed?

In this article, we will discuss frost damage to grass and what you should anticipate, including:

Will Frost Kill Grass Seedlings?

How to Protect New Grass from Frost

Will Grass Still Grow After a Frost?

How to Repair Winter Lawn Damage

Choosing Lawn Care Services in NH, ME, and MA

The harsh winter weather here in New England is no joke. Frigid temperatures, intense winds, and heavy snowfall are often a lot to deal with. But we want to help set you up for success.

Will Frost Kill Grass Seedlings?

The short answer is, it depends.

A main factor in how grass will fare against frost is how established it is. One of the main reasons why we overseed early (at the end of the summer/early fall season) is so that your grass seed has time to establish itself and grow strong roots. 

Once this happens, your new grass will fare much better against adverse weather.

For one, most of the early frost that we experience is quick…such as a random early morning here and there. New grass can withstand occasional and light frost like this. It’s anything that is prolonged that could be problematic. But by the time that occurs, your grass should be established enough to be okay.

How to Protect New Grass from Frost

We know that people want to protect new grass however they can but your lawn isn’t something that you can cover from frost (like a plant in your plant bed). The best way to build winter resiliency in your lawn is to practice good lawn care habits. If you have strong and healthy grass growing, it will naturally fare better.

Some of the things you can do include:

Aeration: When your lawn is well-aerated (and not compacted), water, oxygen, and nutrients flow through it and help establish a strong root system. This will be one of the best ways that you can grow healthy grass. You definitely want the roots to be healthy so that your grass can rebound from any frost damage done at the surface level.

Fall Fertilization: Fertilizing your lawn in the fall makes it stronger and more resilient to winter damage in general. Fertilizer helps grow healthier roots. By growing a strong root system, you can help your lawn maintain its winter hardiness, even as it endures some stress.

Proper Watering Ahead of Periods of Frost: While you should not water the lawn during a period of frost, making sure that you’ve been giving your new grass ample water leading up to that period can make a huge difference in the overall health and strength of your turf and its roots.

Avoid Stepping on the Grass: If we’ve experienced a sudden frost, you’ll want to do what you can to avoid stepping on the grass until it thaws. Walking on frosted grass can cause the fragile blades to snap.

Will Grass Still Grow After a Frost?

If it’s still early enough and the freezing temperatures are only an occasional occurrence, your young grass may still continue to grow after a frost. 

As we’ve mentioned, those early periods of frost are usually quick and temporary. Early frost does not mean the ground is frozen yet. We also generally have plenty of sun and warm air during the fall months to help your new grass to continue to grow.

How to Repair Winter Lawn Damage

If you seeded early enough and properly cared for your grass seedlings, your new grass should be just fine in time for winter. But that does not mean that your lawn won’t be subject to any winter lawn damage. Even mature lawns can be subject to problems in the winter. But it’s not always the cold weather (or snow or ice). It’s other issues, as well.

Some of the common causes of winter lawn damage include:

• Damage from deicing products
• Snow plow damage
• Vole damage
• Snow mold

Fortunately, when your lawn is in good shape, it will be able to better withstand trouble. Many of these issues are temporary and will correct themselves as your lawn comes out of dormancy and starts growing again.

But if you have questions about how to repair winter lawn damage, your lawn care professional will be able to help. One of the benefits of partnering with a lawn care pro is that you’ll have an expert guide helping you determine what’s best for your New England lawn. You aren’t on your own in making these decisions!

Choosing Lawn Care Services in Southern New Hampshire, Maine, & Northeastern Massachusetts

When it comes to making sure your lawn is as healthy as it can be (so that it can better withstand tough conditions), you’ll want to partner with a lawn care professional.

They can help set your lawn up for success with proactive care as well as advise on how to handle any winter lawn damage once the season has passed. Many times, lawns can bounce back from winter problems.

At Seacoast Turf Care, we are here to be your guide to a healthy lawn. We know that lawns can be stressful. But when you work with Seacoast Turf Care, it’s our goal to help take away your worries. Not only will you know you’re getting lawn care services at just the right time, but we can also help you get the best possible results. 

Seacoast Turf Care proudly serves Stratham, Exeter, and surrounding areas in New Hampshire, as well as Amesbury and Newburyport in Massachusetts, and Kittery Point and York in Maine. We also extend our services to nearby communities across these regions. If you reside in one of these Seacoast areas, we invite you to reach out and connect so that we can start helping you today.

Want to learn more about what makes us a great choice for your lawn care needs? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get lawn care pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property. 

Image source: grass frost