November 25, 2018 | by Sara Speen

The season of winter is always associated with cold temperatures, drying winds and snow cover, which results in a severe problem in your landscape if you are not well prepared for winter. For instance:

• Snow load can cause branches of the plants to break or get windburn.

• Freeze can damage sprinkler systems.

• Vicious ice storms.

flower bulbs in snowTherefore, you need to do everything that can protect your landscape from the effects of winter. Here are some of the tips that you may find them useful for winter preparation:

  1. In case you have potted plants, you should keep them inside the house, or if not possible because of kids and pets, you can use a warm blanket to act as an insulator. These because potted plants are prone to freezing and frost.
  2. You should prepare for snow storage from the start, by leaving a space of about 20 to 30 feet on the end of the driveway, for the plow to push the snow, or you leave an open area along the sides of the driveway, to leave the storm there. You should avoid making a narrow path or creating any hindrance that increases the cost of managing the storm.
  3. Before the cold season starts, lay down 3 or more inches of mulch around the plants, to regulate the temperature of the soil and maintain moisture. Also, you should get breathing room for lawn as we approach the cold seasons. The aeration of fall breaks up the compacted soil and dry land, allowing nutrients and water get into roots.
  4. To enhance drainage in the yard, you should make sure your gutter system is clean. Overflowing gutters system can dump a lot of water on the soil. Clearing debris from gutters and downspouts allows water to flow way via drain pipes as required.
  5. In winter, you should benefit from wet snow and rain, allowing it to your watering system. However, in case you shut down sprinklers until the season of warm weather, in case you experience a shortage of rainfall, you should water your garden and lawn manually.
  6. Think of projects that will protect your patios, pathways, and arbors during the winter season. Keep in mind that wood absorbs water, and therefore you should paint all the wood structure in the landscape, to increase the safety of any wood you may walk on or prolong the lifespan of the wood. You should seal pavers, stones and fill cracks in the asphalt, to guard them against freeze and deicing products.
  7. Do you know that landscaping crops are not immune to winter? But if appropriately designed with native and well-adapted plants, you can reduce the attention required to keep your landscape in excellent condition. You should fertilize your lawn with winterizing fertilizer, rake-free debris, and make them short than usual to deter overwintering of fungal diseases. To prevent shrubs from breaking due to heavy snow, you should spray them with an anti-desiccant or wrap them with breathable fabric.

In case you need some assistance in preparing your landscape for winter, you should contact Twin Oaks Landscape. Our experts will help you to make the right decision.