Winter Yard & Garden Tasks That You Can Enjoy!

Jim Moore • November 18, 2019

Winter can be challenging for an avid gardener or lawn enthusiast.

Winter scene of snow on blades of grass

Maintaining a lawn and garden is a wonderful way to add extra flair to your property while giving you a sense of pride over the skills you can learn and develop through gardening. Many people seek to grow their green thumb throughout the growing months of the year, but why stop when the cold weather comes? While winter will herald the end of much of the flora in your lawn and garden, there are plenty of preparatory steps that you can take during the colder months.

The early winter, before the ground freezes, is the ideal time to plant bulbs for the following year. Crocuses , tulips , and daffodils are all “spring bulbs,” as they spend the winter under the cold soil, readying for their blooming in the spring. Irises and dahlias are perennial bulb flowers that will come to bloom in the late summer and fall. The upside to getting these flowers planted during the winter is that you will not need to brave any unbearably cold weather in order to see the positive results of your winter-time work.

If deep-winter temperatures are not a deterrent for your desire to touch up the garden, perennials take winter work to properly trim and maintain. Although many will start to wilt in the fall, perennials should be allowed to fully brown in the winter before trimming and removing overgrowth. Roses also take winter pruning , which should wait until just before spring arrives or when the new buds begin to swell.

Lawn-specific options can are harder to come by when looking for winter work, but there are options. Many lawn care enthusiasts take some time in the winter in order to lay mulch in areas with thin or especially coarse soils. The mulch helps to protect the roots of plants that are susceptible to harsh winter temperatures. If your lawn features multiple types of grasses, some may need a safety net in order to produce a rich and healthy lawn in the coming year. The early winter is also one of the best opportunities in the year to fertilize your lawn. As traffic through your yard tends to decrease in the wintertime, many of the nutrients will more readily be absorbed into the dirt that helps your grass grow.

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When the weather is just too harsh to venture out into, spend some time cleaning up your tools. When dealing with spades. shears, and other metal tools, a layer of oil can go a long way in preventing rust and other deterioration. Consider also sharpening those tools before applying oils to the surfaces; this will prevent the need to purchase new tools for years to come. This same degree of maintenance can be applied to motorized tools as well - lawnmower blades also need to be routinely sharpened in order to achieve consistently high performance year over year.

Even through the winter, some wildlife is likely to find its way onto your property in search of food. It remains relevant to all homeowners to keep pests out of the hard work that has gone into both lawn and garden, and we would love to help with that! Check out our contact page to start your journey into year-round lawn maintenance.

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