Winterize Your Yard

Winter is just around the corner. Time for snow to fall and cover the ground, burying our lawns and keeping them frozen until spring. Even though our grass will be covered with frost and snow during the winter months, we should take steps to properly prepare our yards for spring before the first frost comes. Here are a few things that should be done to keep your yard healthy for spring.

You want to keep mowing your yard, even if the growth is little until the first frost. Be sure to rake any grass that is left behind by the mower. This will help keep the roots from smothering in the winter beneath the snow.

Trim your perennial flowers, leaving about one inch of stem. Rake out the flower bed. Doing this will help preserve the flower roots for the next year.

For your flowers that bloom in the summer, you want to dig up the bulbs. If you do not dig them up, chances are, they will not survive the frost and snow. Store them in a cool place. They will survive the cool temperature, but not freezing cold. Replant them in the early spring.

Pull out any and all dead annuals, and vegetable plants from your garden. If you do not, they will rot where they are. You can use all but the tomato plants, squash vines, and pumpkin vines for compost. Tomato plants are the most likely to have diseases. Squash and pumpkin vines take over a yea to break down, therefore; are not good for compost.

Cut your herbs down to about an inch, but do not pull them up. They are likely to re-grow the next year.

Prune your perennial shrubs to get rid of the diseased branches. You will be able to tell if the branch is diseased or not by looking at them. If a branch is diseased and needs to be pruned, you will see either white or black spots on them.

Prepare your evergreen bushes by removing any dried out branches. Protect them from breakage due to the weight of snow by wrapping them with twine. Be sure to wrap securely, but not tightly, from the bottom to the top.

Mulch your perennial flower beds with either hardwood or cedar chips to keep your perennial roots insulated.

Take your outdoor pots inside and place them near a window if you want them to last. Be sure your plants have plenty of drainage in their pots to prevent the roots from rotting. If you are not keeping them, and plan to replace the potted annuals, be sure to rinse the pots out well and store them upside down. If you store them right-side-up, this may cause the water not to drain and may also cause the pot to crack if it gets frozen.

Empty the gas out of your lawn mowers and other gas tools, and store the equipment in a dry place to prevent them from rust and frozen gas lines. Not only is it important to help your lawn look its best for the spring, it is also important to maintain your lawn care equipment.

With the yard all ready for the winter, you can relax a bit and look forward to having a beautiful lawn in the spring.