Artificial grass is often quoted as a great alternative to natural grass since it doesn’t have the same shortcomings and is not affected by changes in weather conditions.
However, not even synthetic materials fare great in freezing weather conditions.
Does Artificial Grass Last in Freezing Weather
Artificial turf is made of polyethylene, which is a synthetic plastic. The material has the ability to withstand cold temperatures and will not freeze.
However, you should be aware that the blades of your artificial turf can become brittle in freezing weather.
Maintaining Artificial Grass in Freezing Weather
Here are some tips to help you maintain your artificial grass lawn, even in freezing weather conditions.
Choosing the Right Artificial Grass
Choose a product with low-temperature polyethylene. This is the most durable type of artificial turf available on the market.
Using the Right Infill
Make sure that your artificial turf has a good infill system, such as rubber crumb or sand. These materials will help prevent the blades from becoming brittle and cracking in freezing weather.
The kind of artificial turf infill best for freezing weather is silica sand. Sand is a natural material that will provide the blades with additional support and protection in freezing weather.
You should also be aware that if you use an artificial turf infill with rubber crumb, it might not be appropriate for freezing weather conditions.
Rubber crumb is made from recycled tires, which means that it can become very brittle in cold temperatures. Therefore, it’s best to avoid using this type of infill in freezing weather conditions.
Stop Snow from Accumulating on Your Artificial Turf
Snow is a major enemy of your artificial turf as it can cause the turf to become soggy. It can also freeze into ice, which will damage the blades.
To keep snow from accumulating on your turf, use a snow shovel to remove it as soon as it falls. A regular shovel will not work because it will not be able to scoop up all of the snow that has fallen on your turf due to its low profile.
You can also use a leaf blower or broom for this task, but you will need to spend more time removing the snow if you do so.
The best way to remove snow is by using a snow rake, which you can rent at most garden supply stores for less than $50 per season.
This tool has metal tines that are curved like fingers and separate the snow from the grass without causing any damage. It’s an investment worth making if you want to protect your turf from damage caused by heavy snows or ice storms.
Avoid Wetting Turf in Freezing Weather
When watering artificial turf in freezing weather, avoid wetting it down completely because this could lead to water freezing in the blades and damaging them over time.
Instead, water only enough so that each blade absorbs about half an inch of water before releasing any excess onto the ground around them.
If you don’t have an automatic sprinkler system installed on your lawn, use a hose with a nozzle that releases small amounts of water over time rather than one that sprays continuously while you move it back and forth across your lawn.
You may need to walk around with this method periodically or invest in an automatic sprinkler system if you want to avoid wetting down too much of your lawn at once when watering during cold weather months because there may be times when watering manually is just not practical for whatever reason (perhaps because you have other things going on).