Preparing your landscape for winter is essential for protecting your plants and ensuring a healthy start in spring. Here are four tips to help you get your landscape ready:
- Clean Up Debris (But Not ALL Debris)…Here’s Why: Pick up twigs and any debris from your garden and yard to give a tidy appearance. Rake up fallen leaves from the lawn area, but I prefer to let leaves be in landscape areas. Why? There are several good bugs and pollinators that live in dormant plants and leaves over the winter, so I choose not to disrupt them.
- Mulch: Apply a layer of mulch around perennials, shrubs, and trees. Mulch insulates roots, helps retain moisture, and reduces the risk of frost heaving in the soil.
- Prune Wisely: Trim back any dead or diseased branches on trees and shrubs. However, avoid heavy pruning in late fall, as it can encourage new growth that may not survive the winter.
- Watering: Ensure your plants, shrubs and trees (especially newly planted plants, shrubs & trees and evergreens) are well-watered before the ground freezes. This helps them withstand cold temperatures and provides necessary moisture for root systems. This is especially important due to the drought our area has experienced in the last couple of years.
By following these steps, you’ll help your landscape thrive through the winter and emerge healthy in spring!