Winter will be soon upon us and for homeowners that means preparing their yard for the weather change. A sudden switch in temperature or snowfall could pretty much ruin your yard or at least make your work a bit harder next spring.
That’s why it’s important to protect both your yard and your equipment on time. It can be done with a few odd jobs in the afternoon or when you have a weekend to dedicate to work on the yard alone.
Trimming
This is the perfect time for the last trim of the year. The greenery probably won’t grow at all during the winter or it will grow at a much slower pace than it otherwise would. So you only need to trim it once more and you can forget about it until next spring.
Make sure you do a thorough job, partly so that you don’t need to deal with it again in the middle of the winter and partly because it’s a way to keep the plants healthy. Pruning during the dormant season will keep your plants from contract diseases such as a Fire Blight.
Cleaning up
This is also a good time to go through your equipment, your shed and the yard in general and to clean and prepare the tools for the next year. That way, you’ll know what you actually have ready to use and what needs to be repaired or replaced.
This may become a project of its own since there are always too many items in your shed. You should also look up rubbish removal prices so that you can throw out all the items you don’t need once the season is over.
Keeping trees warm
If you want to protect your trees, especially young ones, you’ll need to do your best to keep them warm and moist. This is something that you should plan ahead because it will require you to have mulch prepared.
Mulch should be applied around trees, shrubs and perennial plants. That will insulate the roots for the winter. It’s best to use compost and some shredded leaves. Compost could be bought or you could make your own, but that will take preparations and a system put in place during the year.
Fertilizers
If you use fertilizers in your yard, you should consider making a change during the winter. Go for a different set of fertilizers that you’ll use depending on the season. The fertilizer consists of three things:
- Nitrogen (which encourages foliage growth)
- Phosphorus (which stimulates root growth) and
- Potassium (which makes the plant strong).
The amount of each will change depending on the type of fertilizer you use and you should consult experts before you decide on what your regime should be for the winter and for the following spring. Once you have that, you should switch up your fertilizers before each season.
Conclusion
It’s important to prepare for winter before it actually hits your area. This time of the year is the perfect time to do it since it gives you enough time to make plans and to prepare in case something unexpected comes up. You should first go through your equipment and clean out the things you don’t plan to use next year. It’s also important to protect your plants and to make sure that you have the right fertilizer for the winter. The end of the year is also a perfect time to prune your plants for the last time.