Old Man Winter is just around the corner – are you ready to take on the ice and snow? With this winter projected to be a bad one, you’ll need to have the right staples on hand to keep your exterior safe and protected, including your lawn and garden. To get you prepped and ready, here’s what to keep in mind for your garden maintenance this month.
Protect Garden Beds
All seasons come with a unique set of challenges for our gardenscapes. But winter is without a doubt, one of the harshest, which is why winterization is necessary no matter where you live. Flowers, plants, and trees are an investment, and regular care and maintenance throughout the entire year is an important step to keep them alive and thriving once the spring returns. Here are some key steps to prep your garden each winter:
Add Mulch to Perennials
It may appear like there’s not much happening throughout your landscape as the leaves shed and the temperature drops. But as your plants go dormant, there’s still plenty of activity happening below the surface, like with microbes that provide nutrients to new and established roots. To protect the roots as the temperature plummets, add a thick layer of mulch to your garden beds. Though perennials are quite hardy, the freeze and thaw cycle can end up pushing roots out of the ground and exposing them to the frigid cold. A good, 6-inch layer of mulch will help buffer them if that happens.
Trim and Protect Young Trees
Did you know that young trees need lots of water to help them get through the winter season? It’s true! All plants still need water during the winter to survive. So continue to water them until the ground freezes. If there are any broken or diseased branches, trim them away too. Finally, wrap any young, replanted or vulnerable trees and plants in burlap to shield them from the winter wind and cold.
Protect Roses
If you have a rose bush, give them a good douse of water until the first sign of freezing and avoid trimming them back. To help them get through the winter, their root balls need to be protected too. You can do this by adding a thick layer of soil around the base, pressed down somewhat firmly so the soil it a bit compact, and then add mulch to the base.
Winterize Lawn
To winterize your lawn, you’ll need to apply a winter fertilizer, following the instructions carefully for your particular type of grass. Aerate your lawn to let water and nutrients access the roots for better growth in the spring, and apply a generous layer of grass seed, focusing on any bare patches. Also, don’t forget to keep on mowing the grass until the first frost. You can actually leave behind any chopped up leaves and grass clippings to add more nutrients to the soil. Just be sure to remove any large, heavy patches of leaves so they won’t smother the turf.
Don’t feel like adding garden winterizing to your already packed to-do list? Leave it to the professionals instead at Hansen Lawn & Gardens. Our team can take care of all your lawn and garden maintenance needs, even throughout the entire year. Contact us today to learn more and get a quote.