Weekend Warrior: Prepare the Lawn & Garden for Winter
To protect the year round wellbeing of your lawn and garden, you must prepare for winter. Failing to do this work before it gets too cold may cost you in the spring, as small issues often turn into major problems. You can shop for landscaping and lawn products at EquipSupply.com. Here are several tips for preparing the lawn and garden for winter:
- Mow the lawn until the grass stops growing. Doing so will make the grounds more attractive and make raking easier. Mowing will also give the yard extra nutrients.
- Rake leaves to prevent certain areas of the lawn and garden from not getting enough sunlight.
- To keep trees and bushes healthy, remove dying and decaying branches.
- Those in regions with mild winters can continue to water the lawn every 2-3 weeks, depending on rainfall.
- When the first hard freeze arrives, apply 2-4 inches of mulch around plants. Distribute the mulch evenly over the soil, but refrain from packing it down too tightly. Mulching helps prepare the yard for winter by guarding against colder temperatures and harsh weather.
- Start a compost pile in order to put the yard waste to good use as a soil supplement. Keep your compost pile close to the garden. Doing so will allow you to easily carry material back and forth.
- The first layer of the compost pile should be green material, such as leaves, clippings, and other non-meat kitchen scraps. The second layer should be brown material such as garden soil, brown leaves, straw, and coffee grounds.
- Turn your compost mound throughout the winter. If the mound gets black, crumbly, and sweet smelling, it is ready to be used as garden fertilizer.
- Remove annuals that are not at their peak – leave their roots to decompose and enrich the soil.
- Pull leftover leaves from the garden and clear out any other debris from the beds and borders of the garden. Doing so will prevent mold, mildew, and other problems that can result from stagnation.
- Turn water off to outdoor spigots.
- Protect outdoor spigots with insulated foam covers.
- Clean out gutters.
- Clean garden tools, and remove dirt, grime, and rust. Doing so will keep your tools ready for use next season.