Autumn is quickly ending, and with it much of your landscape is going to be getting ready for the long winter. However, it’s important to help the parts of your landscape get ready for winter. Not only will this result in a landscape that will spring up faster after the thaw, but it will also result in fewer casualties to your landscape’s various plants once winter releases them.

Winter Prep for Garden and Plantings

The plants in your garden and around your home’s exterior are some of the most susceptible to both sudden frosts as well as the long winter freezing their roots. A few tips to help them get ready for winter:

• Avoid Frost Shock: Perineal plants have a game plan for surviving winter, but it requires them to gradually shut down as opposed to suddenly. If a frost is approaching, cover the plants to avoid a sudden shock, including watering them the night before.
• Insulate Their Roots: Putting down a layer of mulch, especially with landscape fabric underneath, can insulate plant’s roots from a ground freeze that would otherwise kill them.

Managing Trees and Shrubbery in Winter

Here in New England, we love our deciduous trees (except when it comes to raking the lawn). Your property also probably contains several shrubs that shed their leaves annually. With both, it’s important to deal with the leaves before they become a nuisance (think about mowing them into your lawn). Once winter hits, keep an eye out for freezing rain and snow accumulation on the branches, and knock them clean or prune them if needed.

Preparing Your Lawn for Winter

Your lawn is going to probably spend a bit of time under a layer of snow this winter. That’s okay, but it’s important to get it ready for it. We recommend two parts to this on our blog, Dormant Overseeding and Winter Lawn Care. To summarize, our tips are to both overseed the lawn now to promote growth in spring and to make sure your lawn is undisturbed by pests, debris, and foot traffic during its rest.

If you’re looking for a helping hand with landscape maintenance this fall, winter, or any other season, contact Dolan Landscaping. We’re experts on landscape design, construction, and maintenance, including lawn maintenance and spring and autumn cleanup. Learn more at our maintenance and construction pages to see how we can help.