Preparing your Lawn and Landscape for Winter

Rich-Way Landscape

To quote the hit television show Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.” This means it is time to prepare your yard for colder temperatures. So how do you protect your landscape during winter?

Here are some tips for winterizing, so that your landscape is protected throughout the winter. With the following steps you can ensure your yard can endure harsher weather while also making sure it is ready for when spring comes back around.  

1. Remove Fallen Leaves 

Leaves can nourish your lawn in small doses but if there are too many then they will smother your lawn. Once you remove them from your lawn you can compost them which will turn them into mulch. If you want to save some steps instead of using a rake or a leaf blower opt for a mulching mower.  

2. Add Mulch 

Mulch helps keep soil at a moderate temperature. It is best to add mulch once you have a hard freeze. After the freeze spread it around the base of shrubs and trees to prevent the bark from rotting. Yet make sure you do not put it directly on the trunk but 1-2 inches away. Mulching also helps regulate the soil temperature which in turn keeps soil from heaving causing plants to be forced out of the ground.  

3. Aerate your lawn 

Before you aerate the lawn, you will need to irrigate it for a couple of days. After you aerate the lawn (you can usually rent an aerator from a garden supply store.) You can then use the compost you have collected to fill in the holes left by aerating. Fall is a wonderful time to aerate because you are less likely to walk on the soil plugs that are removed during the aeration process. 

4. Maintain a compost pile and spread it over your lawn 

Compost can be used to protect your garden by keeping it rich with nutrients during the chilly winter months. As mentioned earlier spreading the compost works anywhere, but it is especially useful after aerating a lawn because the compost can fill the gaps where the plugs were removed. Fall rains will help work the beneficial microbes and nutrients further into the soil. Fall is an excellent time to start your own compost pile. 

5. Seed your lawn 6-8 weeks (about 2 months) before winter hits 

Fall is a suitable time to seed because of the cool season grasses. Once spring hits the lawn will have a boost since you seeded before the harsh weather. You will lose less grass by seeding in the fall.  

6. Leave the grass cut short for winter weather 

Congratulations, you are in a season where you do not need to mow the lawn as frequently, yet you do still need to get out every so often as your yard needs to be cut short for the winter. Continue to mow you yard until the grass stops growing. It looks nicer and you will not have to worry about small animals burrowing in your yard over the winter. 

7. Water plants before they go dormant 

 If you have had a dry fall, you might need to water plants even after they start to go dormant. Make sure they are ready for colder weather by watering until the ground freezes. In warm climates, water throughout the winter if rain is lacking. At Rich-Way Landscape we can help you prepare your yard for the upcoming colder temperatures. We can also prepare your yard or Spring when it is time. Whatever your landscape needs Rich-Way landscape can provide. Our experts know how to keep your yard looking its best all year long. Contact us today at (901) 853-9590 for a free consultation.