Many people see fall as the time when you don’t need to worry about your landscaping as much, but nothing could be further from the truth. Fall is the perfect time to prepare your plants to grow back strong and healthy in the spring. Here are a few of the actions you should take now to protect your landscaping during the harsh winter months.
1 – Manage Leaves & Other Debris
Don’t let these pile up on your lawn and landscaping, they will suffocate the lawn underneath, but don’t rake them into piles and stuff them into bags for the city sanitation department to get rid of either.
The best thing to do is to use a mulching mower to shred these leaves into tiny pieces which are then used to nourish and fertilize your lawn over the winter. And if you have additional leaves left over, seriously consider setting up a composting bin or pile to transform the leaves into rich soil that can be used in the spring.
2 – Winterproof Your Irrigation System
Nothing is more annoying when you turn on your irrigation system in the spring only to discover that it ruptured during the winter and will now require repairs before it is usable again. Review your manufacturers’ instructions on how to winterize your system and follow them to avoid problems later.
3 – Prune Your Trees and Bushes
When the leaves are off the trees is the best time to prune them back. It is easier to spot dead or overgrown branches, plus pruning the dead wood now will prevent it from coming down during the first big snow or ice storm of the season.
4 – Fertilize & Aerate Your Lawn
Above the ground, the plants grow slower during the fall, but roots continue growing fast underground. So make sure to aerate your soil to make sure that water and fertilizer can easily reach the plant roots. And a good amount of mulched leaves might be all you need as fertilizer for your grass, but if you need some extra fertilizer, now is the time to use it, especially on new trees and shrubs.
5 – Seed New Patches of Grass
Most people don’t realize that fall is one of the best times to plant new grass during the growing season. The soil is still warm, the moisture plentiful and the temperature is moderate. Seed those thinning and bald patches now, to get a head start on a healthy lawn next spring. If you do it early enough, you will give the grass plenty of time to grow strong root systems to get through the winter.
6 – Water Plants & Trees Well Before the First Freeze
All plants and trees need a solid deep watering right before the first freeze of the year. This gives your plants a chance to absorb the moisture it needs to get through a dry, arid winter.
7 – Add Mulch Around Plants
Adding a new layer of mulch around your perennial plants and shrubs gives them an extra layer of protection from the winter cold, and helps trap the moisture in.
Don’t Want to Prepare Your Landscaping for Winter Yourself? Give Aeroscape a Call.
At Aeroscape, we are licensed and insured with over 15 years of residential and commercial landscape design and maintenance experience serving Salt Lake City, Midvale, West Valley City, and surrounding areas. We provide a comprehensive package of fall landscaping services to protect your landscaping investment. To learn more, give us a call at (801) 567-2383 or click on our Contact an Expert green arrow on any page of our website to speak with one of our landscape experts today.