As winter comes closer, you likely start ticking things off of your winter prep list. You probably already know that you need to clean your gutters and repair any damaged siding on your house, but have you remembered your yard? You might not realize it, but there are some things you need to do, and others you need to avoid, to have the healthiest yard possible. Here are is how you can prepare your yard for the colder months.
Stop Watering
You might think that watering your grass in colder months will help keep it alive, but the water will actually hurt it more than help it. Plants significantly reduce their growth during the winter, so they aren’t soaking up as much water. So, when you soak the soil, the water will freeze, which can kill the plants. If you’re in a warmer climate where your weather doesn’t get too cold, you can keep watering in the daytime but should never water at night.
Cut Back Your Trees
When you leave dead limbs on trees during the winter, you’ll find that they’re more likely to fall off due to the weight of snow or ice building up on them. These limbs can fall on your house or outbuildings on your property or powerlines, causing you and those around you to lose power to your homes.
It’s helpful to have a tree removal Cincinnati service evaluate the health of your trees every year. They will remove all dead branches that could pose a problem and take down any trees that may have died during the year.
Plant Perennials
If you wait until the spring to plant perennial bulbs in the ground, you will likely find that you have to wait another entire year to see them grow. Bulbs planted in the ground in the fall have time to develop strong root systems. Then, in the spring, they can grow their stalks and flowers.
Aerate Your Grass
Fall is the perfect time to aerate your lawn. The cooler air temperatures and warm soil make it easier for the grass to take in air, water, and nutrients after it has been aerated. The grass roots can then grow thicker and stronger, which creates a lusher, more beautiful lawn.
Stay Off the Grass
As the temperatures get colder, the grass starts to freeze and become more brittle. When this happens, and you walk on your grass, you’re breaking off parts of the blade of grass and can be causing irreparable damage. Often, you won’t even know there is a problem until the spring when it’s too late to do anything about it.