Winter Lawn Care to Help Your Yard this Spring

One of the fun things about being a homeowner is taking care of your lawn and landscaping. Finally, you can have the green, healthy lawn that makes you the envy of the neighborhood! That is if your plants can survive the winter.

To help make sure your home looks great come springtime, there are some winterizing tasks you can do to your lawn. This way, you can get a head start on things before everyone else. But it helps to know what happens to your outdoor plants during the cold, snowy months of winter.

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Winter’s Effect on Your Landscape

First of all, you should know that your grass and hardy plants do not die during the winter. Annuals die each year, but the rest of your landscape is designed to go dormant (and maybe look dead) during winter, but they should revive once the weather is warm enough.

This is true even if you get a lot of snow in your area! Your lawn should be just fine even if it sits under a deep blanket of snow for most of the season. The only thing you’ll want to worry about are the plants that cannot handle frost (such as citrus trees) or walking on your lawn when the ground is wet and just starting to thaw – this can tear up your grass and leave you with bald patches come spring.

Winter Lawn Care Safety Concerns

Then what can you do to winterize your landscaping? For a start, you need to make sure things are both safe now and in the spring. That means checking your trees and shrubs for any branches that are loose or need to be cut. Branches can snap off easily this time of year, especially with the weight of snow on them. The last thing you want is for someone to get hit by a heavy tree limb!

While you can do this yourself, it’s typically easier and safer to hire a professional. The average cost for tree and shrub maintenance is around $416, but that depends on the amount of work needed. Some trees just need a single branch removed, while others might need to be removed entirely to protect your house, car, or family.

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Another safety concern with your landscaping is your walkways. These need to be de-iced and cleared regularly, as you do not want anyone slipping and hurting themselves on your property.This also helps walkways look better and avoid cracking. OSHA explains that you also need to be careful when shoveling snow, as this activity is harder on the body than most people realize. Remember that safety includes your own!

Improving Your Lawn and Plants

Of course, winterizing means more than just keeping thing safe. You also want to ensure you have a luscious, green lawn as soon as possible. To do this, it’s good to know what kind of grass you have in your lawn. That’s helpful to know because different varieties have different needs. If you have a cool-season grass, fertilize your lawn in fall. Warm-season grass can be fertilized in spring.

You should also cut your grass in late fall as short as possible. This allows for more sunlight to reach the blades of grass, helping them stay as healthy as possible for spring. And don’t forget about aerating your lawn. Visit your home improvement store and see if they have an aerator to rent, and use it on your lawn before winter arrives.

As for your other plants, wrap delicate shrubs and hedges in a breathable fabric. This helps the plants retain heat and avoid being smothered by snow.

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Work Now for a Great Spring Lawn

As with most things in life, doing a little work now can let you reap the benefits later. To ensure that your lawn and landscaping look great this spring, follow a few basic winter lawn care tips: fertilize at the right time and protect delicate shrubs. Then use a landscaping service to remove any dangerous branches or trees. This way, you can really be the envy of the neighborhood once the weather warms up!

Clara is a retired small business owner, who was born with two green thumbs. She created GardenerGigs to connect local gardeners with those in need of plant care help.