Homeowners put a lot of time into their property as well as investing money into keeping things looking their absolute best. This is true for their homes as well as their landscapes. Year-round lawn and tree care are critical to keeping things in good working order. And as the seasons change and the cold weather rolls around once again, it is time to plan with landscaping and tree trimming companies to make sure everything is properly prepped and ready.
Depending on how severe of a winter you typically experience in your region, winter prep for the yard could be simple or quite advanced. Working with your local tree company and garden service provider is the best way to ensure everything is protected and safe when the cold weather arrives. It is a good investment into the overall value of any home, but how exactly does an attractive home and yard improve with winter prep?
The Value of an Attractive Home and Yard
There is only so much that the average homeowner can do on their own due to a lack of skills and access to necessary tools and resources. General yard upkeep is fine but as the winter season approaches professional tree services and garden care professionals will be necessary to protect your landscape. An attractive yard boosts curb appeal and makes any home more attractive and desirable, which is half of the home-selling process.
Enlisting the services of a professional arborist will ensure your trees are in tip-top shape and will survive the brutal winters. Residential backyard landscapers can only go so far and do so much so make sure you are ready to go the extra mile to protect your landscaping and invest in the value, comfort, and appeal of your yard.
The better your yard looks, even in the dormant winter months, the more your home and property will be worth. It is this direct impact on home value as well as an increase in an overall appeal that fuels many homeowners to invest in the pre-winter yard and garden prep work. Spending some time and money now will actually save you a lot more time and a lot more money later on by making it easier to get into the spring growing season. So, consider the ways you can prepare for winter and keep your landscape looking great!
Popular Services to Prepare Trees and Landscapes for Winter
Ready to prep ahead for the coming cold and snow? Here are some things you can do now to prepare your trees and landscape for winter. Reduce the chances for damage and get started off on the right foot when the weather turns warm again by prepping now for winter. Consider these services to make the greatest impact:
Lawn Mowing
Winter lawn preparation is often overlooked by many homeowners but even the simplest of steps can work wonders for your yard as winter approaches. With that in mind, a late-season mow can help protect your yard and is an easy step that certainly needs to be prioritized during cool-season yardwork. If you want your lawn to come through the frosty weather and your grass to bounce back quickly in the spring, a final mow can help ensure this all happens. As the weather goes cold the aw will fall dormant and stop growing as quickly. Leaving too much grass growth can promote rotting as it lies under snow and ice for months at a time. Properly mowing the grass can ensure the roots stay protected while reducing the risk of decay.
Hedge Trimming
Landscapes are comprised of more than just grass. Perennial bushes and shrubs also need some care and attention during the cooler season. One of the best times to trim your hedges is right as the fall season draws to a close. The shrubs will not be actively growing during the winter so now is a good time to cut them back to the shape and size you want them to be for winter. This way you can enjoy aesthetically shaped hedges all winter long, and have them ready to go when the weather turns warm. Even if your shrubs go dormant and lose their leaves for the winter, pruning like this can protect your shrubs and landscape and keep things neater and more organized while everything runs dormant.
Leaf Removal
Another must-do pre-winter task in your backyard is leaf removal. Many homeowners think that leaving leaves on their lawns will help insulate the grass and protect it against snow and ice. In milder winters that might be true, but when the ice and snow linger for months, a layer of leaves underneath can do more harm than good in the long run. Leaf removal brings with it a lot of benefits for the outdoor space, not only aesthetic ones. If leaves remain on your lawn in winter, they can trap moisture against the grass and promote rotting and fungal growth which will be an issue when the snow starts to melt. It can also smother the grass and hinder spring grass growth, putting you at a disadvantage right from the start.
Furniture and Tool Prep
As part of preparing your yard and garden for winter, you need to consider all the tools and equipment you use to maintain your landscape. Mowers, weed eaters, blowers, and other tools all ened to be cleaned and prepare for winter so they are in tip-top shape come spring. Other tools should be cleaned and stored as well so they do not rust or get damaged by the snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Without the right tools ready to go once the snow and ice are gone, you will be at a disadvantage and will be scrambling to do a lot of maintenance and even repair work before you can even get started on the landscape itself. Work on prepping all your tools and equipment now and save yourself time and money next season.
Weeding and Pruning
Pruning the trees and bushes in your yard is one of the essential winter preps that homeowners need to consider before the freezing temperatures and snow hit. Selective pruning of trees and shrubs can help avoid spreading diseases and keeps your greens healthy. Extensive weeding likewise should also be in the months before winter arrives. You do not want to disturb the soil too soon ahead of the first snowfall so that lawn and plant roots are insulated against the colder temperatures. Proper weeding and pruning increase the chances that all of the plants, grass, and trees in the landscape survive the cold. Working with local garden and landscape pros can help you take care of all this essential garden prep well before the cold weather hits.
Mulching Flower Beds
Another area of the backyard that should not be ignored as you prepare for winter’s arrival is the flower beds and garden patches. Chances are these areas of the yard are dormant and empty s the winter season approaches, but that does not mean they can simply be ignored. There are a few things you can do to make sure these areas are prime and ready for planting when the weather turns warm again. One of the most important is to add mulch to the beds. A Thick layer of mulch will protect any seeds that have fallen into the soil so they can survive the winter and sprout again in the spring. It will also help protect any roots, bulbs, or tubers that might be left in the soil. You will be ready to go with a head start with this simple step.
Dethatching the Lawn
Lawn care is vital to protecting your yard and ensuring your landscape looks its best as soon as possible once winter is over. You can opt to do some more advanced lawn care during the cooler season to make sure everything is ready to go in the summer. Dethatching the lawn as well as working on weed control can ensure that all of the energy your lawn uses when the growing season kicks up again goes into healthy grass growth. Performing these tasks when the grass is dormant helps avoid damage and makes it easier to pick up where you left off with lawn care next season. Calling in professional lawn and garden experts is a great way to quickly and easily cross this item off your lawn and garden winter prep checklist.
Protecting Plants From Freezing
Many plants that thrive in colder climates are used to the cold and don’t need a lot of care and attention to prepare them for the winter season. Newer plants however are much more susceptible to damage from freezing temperatures. Whether it is a long deep freeze of winter or a period of rapid freezes and thaws for a period of time, this can all damage young plants and trees. To protect newer plantings from freezing temperatures you will need to insulate the plants as much as posisble. You can do this by adding mulch, straw, pine needles, or similar materials around the base to protect the roots and wtap trunks in burlap or other material to provide an extra layer of insulation for younger trees.
Protect Plants From Animals
During the winter months, many plants go dormant, which means animals that feed on leaves, berries, flowers, and the like will be without a ready food source. Many animals such as deer, rabbits, and birds will feed on trees and shrubs during the winter months. Birds will eat seed pods that remain on trees and shrubs. Rabbits will chew on twigs and dig up roots and bulbs. And deer will eat the bark off of trees as high up as they can reach. An easy way to protect your trees and shrubs against hungry critters is to wrap them with mesh or burlap or put up a small fece that will block easy access from most animals. It is a small step but is one that can go a long way in protecting your plants during the winter season.
Relocate Plants if Necessary
Just because a plant is in the yard or part of your landscape doesn’t necessarily mean it is suited for colder weather when it arrives. It is best to keep these more delicate plants in containers so they are easier to move and relocate when winter approaches. If you have a sunroom, patio porch, or another enclosed or semi-enclosed area, this is a great place to put delicate plants. This will make it easier to care for them and keep them warm and protected. If possible, the best option is to bring them inside to protect them totally from the damaging cold. Another option if you had the time and space to make one, is to use a makeshift greenhouse to keep your plants in for the worst of the winter weather.
Winterize Access Areas Outside
The final thing you as a homeowner can do to prepare your yard and garden areas for winter is to look at the yard as a whole and consider all the things contained in your outdoor area. Landscapes contain more than just plants so don’t forget about irrigation systems, water features, patios, decks, pools, grills, and other aspects of your yard that might need some protection from snow and freezing temperatures. Taking the time to ensure everything is prepared, covered, and protected now will ensure things are good to go when the warm weather returns and you ar ready to get back out there and enjoy your yard once more. A little investment of time and energy now will then pay off come spring.
Take Advantage of Landscape and Tree Services Ahead of the Winter Months
Start working on your pre-winter landscape preparations now. Contact your local tree businesses and landscape pros today and see what services they can offer to assist you. Whether it is help from a tree removal contractor or roofing services provider or landscape expert or garden professional, your home and yard deserve some love and attention ahead of the winter months. Get started today and see what a difference it can make next spring!