Will a backyard rink kill my grass?
Usually the lawn comes through, but nobody can promise it for your yard. Rink sellers say damage is rare when the liner goes down on dormant grass and comes up before the grass wakes. Turf researchers have measured what long ice cover does to grass, though on test plots and not under rink liners. This page puts both side by side and ends with a take-down checklist.
What rink sellers say
- Ice Sleek (a liner seller) says the liner goes down right before a deep freeze, when the grass is already dormant. Its stated risk is a liner left in place once the grass becomes active, and it calls the risk of killing grass minimal when set-up and take-down happen in a timely manner. It also allows that a fluke season can wake the grass before the liner is up. Source: Ice Sleek, Selecting Ice Rink Liner.
- PW Ice (a rink kit seller) answers "Usually not, but proper preparation helps". It suggests old carpet, cardboard or thin foam under the liner so the grass is not fully smothered. After take-down it expects yellow, matted grass and says most lawns recover within 3-4 weeks, with temporary bare patches where water stood deep. Another section of the same page says "within two weeks", and neither figure has a source. Source: PW Ice, How to Build a Backyard Ice Rink.
Both sellers sell rink products, so their reassurance is experience and has no measurements behind it. They also disagree on timing: Ice Sleek builds on dormant grass, PW Ice would avoid it if possible.
What the turf research shows
The University of Minnesota winter turf program ran test plots under ice. With just over 90 days of ice, annual bluegrass died and Chewings fescue was severely damaged, while the other species came through mostly unharmed. In a second winter with 110 days of ice, annual bluegrass and Chewings fescue died and the other species were badly hurt, except velvet bentgrass. Carbon dioxide under the ice went past what the sensors could measure, but the researchers say the link to plant death is still unproven. Source: University of Minnesota, How long can grass survive under ice?
Those plots were encased in ice for months. A rink liner holds water above the lawn and blocks light, so the situation differs, and the numbers are no safe limit for your yard. What carries over is that species matters, and that months of cover carry more risk than weeks.
Count the days under cover
Enter the day you first laid the liner and the day you plan to take the rink down.
Take-down checklist
- Watch the grass and the forecast. Both sellers tie the deadline to the grass turning active, which varies by region and year.
- Plan the take-down for when temperatures stay above freezing, as PW Ice advises.
- Drain before the liner tears under the ice weight (PW Ice). Standing water makes mud and slows recovery. The water guide shows how much you are moving.
- Pull stakes and boards while the ground is still soft (PW Ice).
- Dry the liner before you fold it. The liner size guide helps if you need a new one next season.
- Expect a yellow, flat patch for a few weeks. Rake it lightly. If it is still bare after the surrounding lawn greens up, reseed that spot.
Next season, the fill date also counts toward days under cover. The start guide and the flooding guide covers when to fill.