When plants die during the winter, the culprit is usually frost heave. As the cold weather in Canada fluctuates, causing recurring cycles of freezing and thawing, the roots of the plants are turned and pushed above the soil level.
The constant expansion and contractions are due to a phenomenon known as frost heave, which exposes the roots and is quite detrimental to the house’s structure.
We don’t want your green garden to look stunted and damaged. Hence, here is a blog explaining this topic and efficacious methods for preventing frost heave.
Read More: Snow Removal From The Roof: Ways For Clearing Snow Safely & Efficiently
What is a Frost Heave?
Let’s start with the meaning of frost heave. As freezing temperatures seep into the soil, moisture turns to ice.
Through a mechanism known as capillary action, water from other soil areas tends to migrate toward the freezing spot when the moisture there hardens.
Consequently, the size of the ice mass increases. These ice formations can force the soil layer upward, causing cracks in the concrete and soil above.
As a result, it damages the soft soil in the garden and weakens the foundation of your house.
Water is necessary for frost heave and thawing, the two fundamental types of frost activity.
How Does Frost Heave Work?
As described above, water plays a big role in frost heaving. Let’s examine where this water comes from.
Water on the surface: Water enters the pavement mostly through surface seams and fractures and nearby unpaved areas when it rains and when snow and ice melt.
That’s why in our last blog on ice melter for concrete, we emphasized disposing of the melted ice or snow.
Many pavements without cracks are not completely resistant to moisture.
Water beneath the surface may come from the water table or the groundwater table. Secondly, it may be moisture trapped in soil cavities, or capillary forces pulling higher from a water table. Lastly, it may be moisture from an outside source traveling laterally beneath a pavement.
What Causes Frost Heave?
For ice lenses and, consequently, frost heave, the following three components may accelerate it:
- Soil that is sensitive to frost
- Subfreezing temperatures (freezing temperatures must reach the soil, and slower freezing rates generally result in thicker ice lenses).
- Water (must be stored in the voids of fine-grained soil, infiltration, an aquifer, or the groundwater table).
You can avoid frost heave if you successfully handle these three cases.
Also, the frost heave will be uniform if all three conditions are met; if not, differential heaving will occur, causing the pavement to crack and become rough.
Due to varying backfill materials or compaction and the fact that open subsurface pipes alter the thermal conditions (i.e., remove heat, resulting in more frozen soil), drains, culverts, etc., cause frost.
Other elements that affect frost heave include:
- Heat removal rate.
- Temperature gradient
- Water mobility (such as soil permeability)
- Water table depth
- The kind and state of the soil (such as its density, texture, structure, etc.)
The Signs of Frost Heave Damage
Below are the indications of frost heaving:
- Frost heave frequently results in cracking throughout your home’s inner walls, while it can occasionally cause outside cracking.
- You may observe cracks and shifting in your driveway, sidewalk, or uneven patio pavers.
- Your basement floor may have uneven areas.
- The foundation may seem to shift.
- Additionally, you will see cracks in the concrete floor slab and areas of the slab that are skewed or displaced if frost heave is causing damage to your foundation.
How to Prevent Frost Heave In House Lawn
Here are the effective methods on how to prevent frost heave in your lawn:
1. Monitor the Plants in the Lawn
Pay close attention to plants at risk. If you see frost heave, carefully press the soil back into place to increase the ground temperature and delay the freezing process, or cover the exposed roots with extra soil and a layer of mulch.
One of the most frequent reasons that garden plants die in the winter is exposure to moist, frozen ground or frost heave.
If you don’t want your years of work to go down the drain, take the time to insulate the soil in advance.
2. Plant Cold-Tolerant Species in the Lawn
Select your plants, especially cold-hardy ones, according to the hardiness zone in your region.
Perennials can develop sufficient root systems to stabilize themselves if they are planted at least six weeks prior to the first date of the autumn frost.
To be precise, plant perennials at least six weeks before the first frost of the season to give root systems enough time to grow.
Additionally, plants that can withstand cold temperatures should be selected, such as cold-hardy perennials, bulbs, and deciduous trees and shrubs.
The winter hardy plants in Canada include white birch, Daffodils, winter jasmine, balsam poplar, evergreen juniper, and the list goes on.
These resilient, simple-to-grow perennials can add character to any garden if you enjoy the appearance of a lush, colorful garden but aren’t quite up for all the back-breaking gardening.
They will bloom every year, and when they do, it won’t take much effort.
Related Blog: Perennials That Bloom All Summer in Ontario
3. Encourage Soil Drainage
Add organic matter every spring and fall to loosen the soil and encourage drainage. This is an important step on how to prevent frost heave.
When preparing and cleaning garden beds and the surroundings surrounding your house, rake and fill low spots with more soil that drains properly.
One of the best ways to enhance drainage to prevent frost heave in your landscape is to grade your yard.
It basically entails creating a uniform surface in the lawn. Normally, it prevents erosion, levels the ground, and builds stable ground for gardening.
Grading allows grass and plants to thrive and keeps water from collecting around your house.
Proper grading also controls ice accumulation around the foundation of your house.
Depending on how much soil needs to be moved, you can set out a plan for frost heave remedies, including appropriate drainage and grading procedures.
If you have a small lawn, you can begin by measuring the current grade using a line level, tape measure, twine, and two wooden stakes.
In case you don’t have anyone to help you, get wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes to move dirt.
Alternatively, if you have a bigger lawn, it is better to call landscaping professionals because they have the right tools and knowledge for the task.
4. Lay Mulch On the Soil
Mulching offers several advantages, including improving plant growth and weed control. It is also a solid method to prevent frost heave.
It acts as a blanket of insulation to help control the soil’s temperature.
Once the chilly winds start blowing, cover any areas vulnerable to frost heave with a layer of organic mulch, such as compost, straw, bark mulch, or shreds of leaves, down to a depth of 10 cm.
Related Blog: Wood Chips Vs. Mulch: The Better Choice For Your Landscape
How to Prevent Frost Heave in Concrete Slabs?
The base beneath your concrete space, the drainage system there, and the surface integrity all influence frost heave prevention.
You are more likely to prevent problems if the surface keeps water out and/or directs it away from the edge.
Even if the concrete surface looks solid and impermeable, it may let water pass straight through, depending on the type.
Certain surfaces have a crown or slope that allows water to drain away without forming puddles.
Water seeps beneath the slab if the concrete is non-waterproof or non-cracked concrete.
It pushes up the pavement, bricks, stones, or timbers as it collects beneath the surface, making it unsightly and frequently a trip hazard.
Frost heave damage is uncommon in heated buildings. The heated structures include furnace, central heating, radiators, and floor heating.
That is because in such a structure, the heat transfers to the ground, keeping it warm and preventing frost heave.
Extending footings (the base part of the foundation) can also prevent frost heave. However, footings do not support pavements, driveways, walkways, or floor slabs of buildings that are not heated.
If you have buildings or structures that have no built-in heated protection or are open-air, such as garages, sheds, etc., here is what you can do:
Reduce Frost Penetration: Limit freezing by insulating the ground.
Prevent Water Seepage: Improve underground drainage.
FAQs
Does Canada experience frost heaving?
Frost heaving is common in Canada’s cold temperature and abundant groundwater, particularly in regions that experience seasonal freeze-thaw cycles.
Is it possible to avoid frost heaving?
Although it is difficult to completely prevent frost in regions with severe winters, proper drainage, insulation, and foundation depth can lessen the risk of frost heaving.
What time does frost heave happen?
In late fall and early winter. It usually happens when soil moisture freezes and expands, creating upward pressure.
Contact Falcons Landscaping for Expert Frost Heave Prevention
This is how you can prevent frost heaving on your lawn and entire property. All the strategies mentioned are organic, so you don’t need to worry about harming the environment.
If you are not sure about where to start or how you will do it, don’t stress! Lawn care in Mississauga is at your service.
We offer a variety of services to handle your landscaping problems before they go out of hand.