Seven Winter Prep Tips for Your Lawn & Garden

Winter is coming 'round again, which means that you can forget about your lawn and garden until spring, right? Wrong! Autumn is one of the best times of year to concentrate on your lawn and garden and prep them for winter chills, according to Houston's Horticulture Weekly. Even if you've already had your first (or second, or third) cold snap, you've still got time to get your lawn and garden in wintry shape.

1. Fertilize

Before the dead of winter sets in, it's important prep your lawn and garden for winter with a healthy dose of fertilizer. This helps to fortify both the roots and the flowers and leaves for freezing weather, and strengthens the stems and trunks of many plants. And if you live in an area where bluegrass is common, it is recommended that you fertilize twice before the weather gets below freezing.

2. Repair Summer Damage

Now that the sweltering hot days of summer are over, you can conduct some winter prep for your lawn and garden by repairing the damage caused by the heat. Re-seeding is a common practice in autumn just before the chill of late November sets in, but try to use a grass that takes root quickly, such as perennial ryegrass. You'll have sprouts within a week rather than a couple of months.

3. Continue Watering

Many homeowners make the mistake of discontinuing their water regimen after the first cold snap. If you want to prep your lawn and garden for winter, however, it's best that you continue a steady watering cycle through November. Every two weeks, your lawn should get at least one inch of water, and it's unlikely that the moisture will come from rain. So don't put away the sprinklers yet!

4. Put Away the Shears

Although it's a good idea to encourage growth in your garden during the summer months, you don't want so much of that when prepping for winter. Since pruning will encourage more growth in your plants, put the shears away and instead focus on getting rid of dead wood on your larger plants. That way, insects won't have a home when the chill of winter sets in.

5. Move Things Around

The experts agree that autumn is prime time to find your plants new real estate, especially since they won't be stressed by the heat of summer. Go ahead and move your trees and plants if you think they'd look better elsewhere; just make sure to add plenty of fertile soil to encourage extension of roots.

6. Clean Water Features

If you have any water features in your lawn and garden that are home to fish, prep for winter by cleaning them thoroughly and spiking them with bacterial additives. Since autumn comes with falling leaves, you want to get rid of any decaying matter that might produce toxic quantities of ammonia or bacteria. You can also start the process of covering water features for winter's icy breath.

7. Buy New Plants

Plants that are placed in the soil in autumn are perfect in preparation for winter. Since plants are cheapest this time of year, you can stock up so your lawn and garden will be ready for spring. It is also a good idea to mulch existing and new plants to make sure they have sufficient nutrients for the coming cold.