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Expert Clarifies

Can You Save a Muddy Lawn After Winter?

After the winter, some garden owners' lawns are muddy
After the winter, some garden owners' lawns are muddy Photo: Getty Images/Natalya Stepina

January 26, 2025, 4:00 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

The first rays of sunshine reveal a gruesome discovery in many a garden: the lawn has not survived the winter and is now muddy. myHOMEBOOK asked lawn expert Dr. Harald Nonn from the German Lawn Society whether a muddy lawn can still be saved.

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Lots of gaps and hardly any blades of grass – that’s how some garden owners’ lawns look after winter. It looks more like a muddy forest path. The winter has done a great job with frost and snow. But is there anything you can do if the lawn is muddy after winter? Can it still be saved?

Why the Lawn Is Muddy

Anyone who finds a muddy lawn after winter has a chain of unfortunate circumstances to thank for it. It doesn’t have to be that way, explains Dr. Nonn from the German Lawn Society when asked by myHOMEBOOK. “Slushy lawns are caused by frost damage or a layer of snow and, as a result, snow mold underneath. The grass has died. Or, you’ve walked over the lawn in frost or when it’s too wet.”

Is It Possible to Save a Muddy Lawn?

No, once a lawn is destroyed or muddy, there is hardly anything you can do for it, the expert reveals. “You have to live with this appearance until it starts to grow.” Re-seeding is not recommended before then because it is still too cold for germination. The grasses would not establish at these temperatures.

What You Can Do About It

Basically, you can’t really do much as long as the temperatures are so low, explains Dr. Harald Nonn. However, if you are in a hurry, the expert recommends a ready-made lawn. This can also be laid in winter if the weather is frost-free. However, this undertaking is associated with high costs. Whether the lawn will then survive the rest of the winter undamaged is questionable.

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Can You Prevent a Muddy Lawn?

If you’ve ever had a muddy lawn in your garden, you don’t want to experience it again. But it can be prevented. The expert emphasizes that you should know why the lawn has become muddy. Was there snow on the surface, and that’s why snow mold developed, or did it happen because you walked over the lawn even though the ground was too wet? “If it’s the latter, keep your feet off the lawn in winter or at least limit it to the bare minimum.” If the problem is fungal diseases such as snow mold or typhoid rot, which can occur over the winter, the grass can be strengthened with potassium in the fall as a preventative measure.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.

Topics Garden in January Garten im Februar Lawn Winter
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