a small leaf pile will destroy the grass underneath it quickly, but an even thicker snow pile that lasts for months throughout the winter seems to have no effect. Why?

Question

Editing just to say thanks to everyone who has contributed. The responses make perfect sense!

In: Biology

Answer 1

The simplest explanation, grass can’t grow through even a relatively thin mat of leaves. Grass is never trying to grow when covered in snow, but it IS trying to grow in spring, and leaves can still be around in spring.

If you anything that covers up plants, they will try to grow and find sunlight, but eventually will die. If you rake up those matted and wet leaf piles in mid- late- spring, you will find green shoots of grass trying to grow underneath. However, they only have so much energy and are unable to push directly up through the leaves, so once that stored energy is gone, and they have not yet found light, the grass dies.

This is literally the exact process that most weed barriers use. Weed barriers ONLY cut out light, they let water through and do not change soil conditions, but you will find that after awhile, there are just no more weeks growing because they all tried, and died. Grass is still just a plant.