It’s that time of the year again. The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are falling, and it’s time to prepare your home and yard for the upcoming cold and snow that winter brings. Installing storm windows, adding insulation, and getting your furnace checked are annual tasks you have to get done. Protecting your landscape plants, trees, and bushes is also important so they can survive whatever Mother Nature delivers.
How to Prepare Your Lawn for Winter
The grass in your lawn is pretty hardy and can handle the winter temperatures, for the most part. But, if you really want to ensure that you’ve got a beautiful, green lawn in spring, follow these simple steps:
- Rake up and collect leaves, branches, and other debris. If you don’t they’ll compress the grass and it may die underneath.
- Mow your lawn one last time, a bit shorter. The final lawn cutting of the season should leave your grass 2 inches to 2.5 inches tall. (During the growing season, 3 inches to 3.5 inches is recommended.)
- Aerate the lawn and fertilize it before the first hard freeze. The grass will use the nutrients to grow as soon as the weather starts to warm.
Prepare Your Trees and Shrubs for Cold Weather
Trees and shrubs are among the most expensive, and impressive, landscape plants. Because of their cost and impact on your home’s landscape design, it’s important to protect them from the severe weather.
- Apply an 2-inch layer of mulch around the base. Mulch helps to control erosion and also helps maintain moisture.
- Prune most trees and shrubs in late winter. Winter is the dormant season for trees and pruning in late winter only leaves fresh wounds exposed for only a short amount of time before the growing season.
- Prepare for snow and ice. Remove weak limbs that may break under the weight of snow or ice or tie branches together to increase strength.
- Apply wire mesh around your young trees. Winter months can be hard on wildlife and they’ll happily munch on your landscape plants. Wire mesh at the base of trees protects against the gnawing teeth of hungry wildlife.
- Minimize salt use to protect plants. Spreading salt on your sidewalks and driveway makes it safer for you to walk on. But, when the salt gets into the ground, it can kill the plants so be very careful.
Get Your Flower Beds Ready for the Cold
The season is over and most of your flower bed plants have faded away. It’s the ideal time to prepare, however, for next year’s flowers and plants.
- Remove dead foliage and plant roots. Be sure to remove the entire plant, roots, stalks, and leaves from the flower bed.
- Rake leaves and pick up debris. Clear out the surface of the flower bed, making sure to get all the leaves and debris under remaining plants and close to your house.
- Divide Bulbs. Fall is the perfect time to dig up tulips and other bulbs so you can redistribute them in other places for spring growth.
Get Professional Fall and Winter Landscape Help
They say this winter is going to be a tough one with colder temperatures, and more snow than usual. Protect your landscape from the harsh winter weather by taking action now. Contact Anthony’s Lawncare and Landscape today to request a quote, or to book landscaping services.
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