Scotland will be hit with a 24-hour blizzard this weekend as forecasts show snow will sweep across the UK on Friday and Saturday bringing bone-chilling temperatures, rain, and wind.
And experts have warned that because of this freezing weatherfront, people should not walk on their lawns this weekend to avoid doing lasting damage.
Low temperatures mean grass blades begin to freeze, which isn’t good news for the future health of your lawn. And walking on it while it’s frozen can also cause disease.
Luke Dejahang, a gardening expert at Crown Pavilions, said: “Avoid walking over frozen grass where at all possible in freezing winter weather.
“When grass is frozen, the water inside its cells has turned to ice. This makes the grass blades brittle and prone to breaking under pressure, such as walking across the grass. Broken blades of grass lose their protective outer layer, leaving them vulnerable to further damage and disease.”
While it probably won’t do irreparable damage to your lawn, walking on it in these weather conditions can cause significant damage that will require time and effort to rectify.
The extent of the damage will also depend on several things including “grass species, the severity of the cold, and how often and heavily the grass is walked on,” added Luke.
If your lawn or any area of grass is repeatedly trodden on during a frosty period, you will be able to tell when the frost clears and the weather begins to get warmer. Heavily walked-on grass could leave lawns with uneven, discoloured, muddy patches that look unsightly.
Graham Smith MCIHort, Lawncare Expert at LBS Horticulture, explained that although it may be difficult, we should avoid walking on our frozen grass in winter. He said: “Prepare any nearby paths or driveways so that these can be walked across instead.”
But in cases where walking across your lawn is unavoidable, he suggested: “Wait until the sun has begun to melt the frost and warm up the grass. You can also use a sprinkler to spray warm water onto the grass to melt the frost.”