Winter can be a challenging time for homeowners and property managers. The winter weather can make it difficult to maintain all of your outdoor plants and environment. Here are some landscaping tips to keep your property grounds looking their best throughout winter.
Know your zone
The US Department of Agriculture has a map that can help you to select the best plants that are best for winter landscaping in each climate zone. The climate map can also help you determine which plants have a hard time growing in the winter where you live.
Continue watering
As the temperatures drop, continue to water your plants and shrubs. Failure to keep your trees, lawns, and shrubs hydrated over the winter can result in increased susceptibility to diseases and other issues.
Keep raking
It’s important to continue raking lawns and gardens in the winter as well as the fall. In the winter branches and leaves need to be raked up to prevent mold from snow.
Cover thinly barked trees
In order to prevent frost and sun scalding in winter, put a light-colored wrapping around trees with thin bark in sunny areas.
Fertilize lawns
Remember to fertilize lawns before the first freeze. This can help to grow green grass in the spring. It can also help to minimize the work involved in fertilization at the beginning of spring.
Protect against road salt
Make sure to cover plants and shrubs near areas that have high traffic. Do not apply road salt near tree and shrub roots unless necessary to do so.
Mulch garden and tree beds
Mulch is a natural insulator that can protect your plants from frost. Leaves that have been raked up in the fall will be perfect to use as mulch, instead of buying more.
Keep grass short
Cutting your grass shorter than usual in the winter can reduce frostbite risk and snow mold. According to landscape experts, the recommended lawn length in winter is one to two inches shorter than usual.
Winterize sprinkler systems
Many property managers and homeowners’ pipes freeze during winter due to the dropping temperatures. You can prevent this by winterizing your outdoor sprinkler systems. To make sure your sprinklers are ready for winter, you can force compressed air through the system to push out any water that has accumulated in the pipes.
Add pots
According to landscaping experts, closely-trimmed boxwood trees in large pots can bring a hint of fresh greenery to walkways and entryways all year long in most climates.
Use bark & berries
Trees such as crabapple look great in the winter because they retain their fruit throughout the winter. Trees with highly textured bark are great for winter landscaping. Holly is a perfect winter plant to add to your yard.
Emphasize winter blooming flowers
Make sure you plant flowers that bloom in the winter. Christmas roses are a great example of a good plant that you can grow in cold temperatures.
Plant winter trees
Hardy plants such as maple trees do very well when planted during the winter months.
Prune trees
After all the leaves fall, it’s really easy to spot damaged and dead branches. It’s important to remove unhealthy branches early before spring comes.
Use lighting
Holiday lighting can look very welcoming in the winter. These lights can be left up after the holiday season, to create a well rounded and relaxing outdoor environment.
The experts at Hometown Landscape can help with tree pruning, mulching, and outdoor lighting needs. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. If you have any questions about getting your property or outdoor environment ready for winter and you need advice, please feel free to reach out to us today!