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It is winter time in Sydney Australia and the first frost came this morning.

Is it true that the sun rises and the frost crystals act like magnifying glasses and that is how the grass is damaged?

How do I protect my lawn against frost?

A friend suggested watering the lawn before the sun has a chance to "burn" it.

I missed my chance this morning. I have an automatic watering system that can do this for a minute or two daily before sunrise.

The grass is a broad leaf buffalo.

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  • and no, the crystals do not act like a magnifying lens...forget that.
    – stormy
    Jun 30, 2016 at 5:25
  • No, magnifying lenses are not flat like ice crystals. Ice crystals are flattish, and have irregular thicknesses, which makes for a terrible lens. And with water droplets on leaves, they are harmless too because the focal point is far away from the leaf.
    – Bulrush
    Jul 1, 2016 at 10:55

3 Answers 3

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Grass is not normally sensitive to frost and is not burned by the sun due to frost crystals. That is because when temperatures are low the plant goes dormant.

More information is found here where the only issue seems to be a sensitivity to herbicides. This turf supplier in Australia notes that is cold tolerant down to -10 Deg C in Canberra.

As long as your lawn has been well watered over the summer months it will have no problems going into the Austral winter months.

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I don't know what frost is like in Australia, sadly...but here it is a big deal for lawn grasses. The deal is to NOT WALK ON YOUR FROSTED LAWN. This breaks the blades and crowns and if your grass is frozen enough will kill the grass you walk upon. You'll actually be able to see your footprints in the spring. Just stay off your grass when the lawn is frosted/frozen. Seriously...

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In my opinion, it depends on the type of grass. Some species are more robust, so you should seed the correct variety mix, and possibly complement with annual seeds on every early spring.

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