Winter Lawn and Landscaping Care: Seasonal Top Tips

As the days grow colder, it’s time to start preparing your lawn and outside areas for wintery weather. Read on to discover some top seasonal tips to leave your lawn and landscapes in prime condition.

Prepare your lawn for a winter’s break

It’s important to take proper care of your lawn throughout the winter months. Here are a few things you should try:

●     Rake leaves and remove debris - remember that these items can smother your lawn and stunt the growth of new grass, or even kill it altogether.

●     Cut grass shorter - aim to keep your lawn between 2 inches to 2.5 inches to protect new growth and to minimise the lawn serving as a feeding ground for pests.

●     Aerate and fertilise your lawn before the first big freeze - your lawn won’t utilise the fertiliser in its dormant stage but it will draw upon the nutrients as soon as the weather starts to warm.

Look after trees and shrubs

You should make protecting trees and shrubs against bad weather a top priority this winter. Ways to do this include:

●     Apply mulch around trees, plants and shrubs to ensure extra protection for winter. Mulch will help control erosion and loss of water - a 2-inch layer will reduce water loss and help maintain uniform soil temperature around the roots.

●     Get pruning efforts underway - doing this in late winter, before spring growth begins, will leave fresh wounds exposed for only a short period of time before new growth occurs.

●     Try to prevent water loss - apply anti-transpirants to plants and trees, especially evergreens, to help reduce water loss from plant leaves. You could also use burlap wrapping to shield valuable evergreens from salt spray and winter winds.

●     Take precautions against snow and ice. Tie branches together that may be susceptible to snow loads and to remove snow from low branches, you should gently brush it from the trees instead of shaking limbs which can cause them to break. Don’t forget to remove limbs that may break from snow and ice, as damaged trees are more prone to disease.

●     Apply wire mesh to the base of young trees - this will protect against the gnawing teeth of hungry wildlife.

Minimise salt damage

Salt and melting agents for snow and ice can damage plants and trees by drawing water away from their roots. Make sure you get rid of extra salt by flushing out the soil with plenty of water.

Need help with landscaping and grounds maintenance this winter? GMCB Ltd can assist you with commercial grass cutting, weed killing and more. Get in touch today to find out more about our extensive services.