Is your Denver lawn snow-sick from a brutal winter? Here’s how to help

My dad commonly used the expression “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

He applied it to many situations in life, which mostly led to a laugh or shrug by his family. I’m not sure he’d apply this rationale to turf grass, but when looking at many lawns this time of year, even while they are dormant, some look to be in poor shape — sparse in many places and looking worn out.

If grass could talk, it might say it was sick and tired from years of use, even though lawns are supposed to be well-used.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and get our lawns into great shape for the coming outdoor season with four easy steps.

1. Start by taking a close look at the lawn for telltale damage. There could be gray snow mold where snow remained most of the winter — found in shady lawn locations, north sides of fences and buildings and where snow was continually dumped or piled. Wet leaves left on lawns over the winter can also harbor gray snow mold. This condition is more common in mountain areas where grass turf is solidly covered by snow for two months give or take.

As the name implies, gray snow mold looks like straw-colored to gray matted patches on the surface of lawns. It’s a cold weather fungus and fortunately will go away as spring temperatures rise and remain higher. A light raking with a leaf rake when the turf is dry is the easiest remedy; no lawn fungicides are needed.

2. Nothing breathes new life into compacted lawns better than core aeration. Water the lawn well a day or two in advance to promote easier and deeper plug pulls; flag sprinkler heads to prevent damage. If you’re not a DIYer, ask the lawn care professional to pass over the lawn several times in many directions to pull lots of plugs. More plugs create additional opportunities for air, moisture and fertilizer to reach grass roots.