25 Oct How to Prepare Your Yard for Winter
Winters in Texas are not that harsh, but you never know when the temperatures might drop to a level that your lawn may not be able to withstand. As you can probably recall, Texas does experience some rather unexpected weather at times, including sleet and freezing rain. So, it is best to prepare your lawn for winter, so you don’t have to re-landscape in the spring.
Maintaining and taking care of your yard is a time-consuming task. However, taking necessary lawn care steps before winter can help you minimize winter damage. The right winter prep methods depend on certain factors.
While hiring a handyman for the job can make things easier, you can care for your lawn yourself using a few tips. We will discuss some of the best ways to prepare your yard for the winter and keep it in top-notch condition even when the weather turns cold.
Let’s dig into it.
Apply Winter Fertilizer
Applying fertilizers helps to ensure your plants grow green and healthy, but inorganic fertilizers aren’t a good option for maintenance year-round. However, adding winter fertilizer to your lawn maintenance can help you have better growth results in the springtime. These winter fertilizers are late fall fertilizer applications that help plants store more food during the winter season and grow in the spring.
The best time to use the fertilizer is when your grass stops growing in fall and is green on the top and active below the surface (the roots). Winterizing can help you save your plants from damage and help them to survive. Nitrogen fertilizers are the best option for fertilizing in early winters and can save you from doing excessive work re-landscaping your yard every year.
Move Your Plants Indoors
The weather can change drastically during the winter seasons, which leads to several problems for plants, such as drying out or overwatering. You can avoid these issues by moving your plants indoors to a sunny area. You wouldn’t want to leave your plants out in the open in extreme weather conditions as they can easily retain too much moisture and freeze.
Moving your plants to a sunny area indoors will provide adequate shelter for them and will save them from harsh winter winds, rain, or sleet. Additionally, if you’re not able to move your plants indoors, you can place your plants in an area where they’ll receive direct sunlight during the day, and cover them with a plastic bag or trash bag in the evenings. This will also help reduce cold damage and make yard maintenance easier for you.
Prune Your Trees Before Winter
You may have to put some extra effort into protecting your trees from inclement weather. Some trees do better if you prune them before winter. There are a few tips you should know while pruning your trees for the winter or simply reach out to a local residential maintenance handyman for assistance.
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- Do not prune too early as the incisions you make weeks before winter can dry out the roots and the tree, making its survival difficult.
- Prune on a mild, dry day as it will also help you minimize water borne plant diseases.
- Always prune the dried and dead parts of the tree first, and then work your way to the other areas.
- Increase light and air in the crown by removing the overgrown branches in the tree.
- Be careful when removing diseased and infected limbs.
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Watering
Watering your plants before colder weather is the best way to ensure their survival in winter. You should try to water your plants a day or two before rain is in the forecast. The water acts as an insulator for the plants and the roots, keeping the cold weather from affecting your yard. The moist soil minimizes the damage, whereas dry soil may freeze quicker.
This tip works best if you have newer plants and their roots haven’t fully grown. Moreover, new plants have loosen soil, which can allow water to infiltrate into the roots and freeze them when the weather gets colder.
Additionally, early morning is the best time to water your plants so they have enough time to absorb the water during the day. Lastly, do not water your plants if the temperature falls to 40 degrees or lower.
Do Your Research
You need to consider specific needs and requirements when caring for your yard. Before applying any tips, make sure to research the plants you have in your yard, their characteristics, growth and survival needs, etc., so you can choose the right winterization methods. Consider hiring landscaping services in Austin, as their team of professionals will have the knowledge and experience to make the right choices of care to prepare your yard for winter.
For instance, plants like Lily of the Valley and Coral Bells can survive the winters with little to no maintenance. On the other hand, Boston fern, Wandering Jew, and other plants need a lot of care and have specific requirements to survive the winters and flourish in the springtime. Similarly, if you have mesquite huisache or black brush in your yard, you won’t have as much trouble taking care of them as you might with other plant species.
The type of plants and trees you have will determine the kind of care they need. You can find various resources in Austin, Texas, to learn more about maintaining your yard and property maintenance in general.
Connect With Landscaping Professionals in Austin, TX, Today!
Caring for your yard during Texas winters is not difficult but still requires time, maintenance and a little TLC. Contact GARSC to inquire about our professional landscaping services to make your lawn care tasks easier. Our Austin handyman and landscaping experts can handle all projects, from flower bed cleanup to complete yard restorations. So, reach out to us and request a complimentary bid today!
By: Kayla Gonzales, GARSC Marketing Manager