Fall Landscape Maintenance - Preparing Your Yard for Winter

Fall Landscape Maintenance -3 Steps To Prepare Your Yard For Winter

Autumn presents many chances for gazing at the natural beauty of the season; Vibrant leaves bursting in neon colors accompanied by harvest sunsets are just some of the many reasons to love fall. Although, changing leaves turn into fallen leaves and become dead leaves lying on your property, potentially creating problems. Decaying matter is an open invitation to disease, fungus and insects that can harm your other plant life and stain your hardscaping.

Now that fall is upon us, here are 3 steps you need to take to prepare your outdoor space for winter:

1. Clean It Up

Essentially, every part of your landscaping will need to be looked over and cleaned up. This includes your lawn, flowers beds, and hardscaping elements. You will need to finish ripping out any leftover weeds, and picking up leftover debris. Dead leaves and twigs can lead to pests and disease that can spread into your gardens and harm your other flowers. This is also the time to cut back on overgrown foliage and mow the lawn. Be sure to continue raking your lawn throughout fall to keep decaying matter off your lawn. Also consider adding another layer of mulch to your garden beds to provide for more warmth for your plants during the cold, help them establish roots, and provide for an added boost in nutrition.

2. Cover Up Features

Most perennials do not need to be covered up during the winter, however, certain shrubs and non-established flowers should be given extra attention before the first snow fall. Adding mulch is the best way to protect and cover up your plants and shrubs from heavy snow and ice. This method is inexpensive, looks great in your yard, and provides a blanket of warmth to your flowers. For tall plants and vulnerable shrubs, consider purchasing burlap bags to completely shield them from snow. Taking the time to cover up and re-mulch your flowers and shrubs will ensure they not only survive the winter, but return next spring healthy and beautiful.

3. Collect Decor

Don’t forget to walk around your yard and collect the features that may become damaged during winter, and bring them indoors. This includes, movable water fountains, statues, bird baths and other porous, concrete elements. These garden decor pieces can take a serious beating during the cold weather, especially since water can absorb into concrete, and when it freezes and turns into ice, can crack these features. Be sure to first remove any leftover water in these decor elements and clean them out before winter sets in.