Tips for Keeping Your Decorative Landscaping Safe During Harsh Winter Temperatures
January 4, 2020
You’ve spent a lot of time and money on your decorative landscaping, so the last thing you want is for the harsh winter temperatures to damage all of your gorgeous shrubs and trees. Fortunately, there are several different things you can do to protect your landscaping, even if the temperature drops to record lows in your area.
Know What to Plant
The first step is to understand which flowers, shrubs, and trees can not only survive, but also thrive in your environment. If you know you tend to have long, harsh winters, be sure to landscape using plants that can withstand those temperatures. Typically, you can find this information online or on the plant tag itself. Refer to the plant hardiness zone map to find out which zone you are in and which plants will survive in that given climate.
Keep Your Landscaping Healthy
Don’t stop fertilizing in the fall. Keep it up until the first freeze. In fact, there are specific fertilizers high in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous that are designed to help get your yard through the winter.
Put Down Mulch
Keeping a layer of mulch over the roots of your plants will protect them from the cold. Mulch not only gives the landscape beds a finished look, but also acts as a warm winter blanket when the temperatures dip down low.
Protect Roots from Road Salt
During inclement winter weather, your town will salt the roadways which can also reach some of the plants on your property. Also, when you or your snow contractor spreads salt or calcium chloride, it is inevitable that the plants will receive some of the overspray. In areas where this may be a possibility, try to choose plants that are salt tolerant. Also, choose plants that are considered hardy and can withstand piling of snow from shoveling or plowing. It is always a better practice to use calcium chloride rather than salt on all pavers, natural stone, etc.
Mow Before Winter / Remove leaves
When the temperatures start to fall, mow your yard one last time with your mower set to its lowest setting. Cutting the grass as short as you can helps protect it from snow mold and frostbite, plus it will keep rodents and other pests from building nests in your yard.
Remove leaves
Remove all the leaves from grass areas, planting beds, and paved surfaces. Allowing leaves to accumulate on the lawn will prevent the lawn from breathing and you will end up with bare spots in the spring. Remove all of the leaves from paved surfaces as the leaves will stain which may be very difficult to get clean.
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