With winter on the way, it’s time to make sure landscaping is ready for cold temperatures, harsh conditions, and anything else the season has to offer. With just a few simple winterizing steps, your lawn and plants will ready to thrive when spring returns. Here’s where to start.

How to Prepare Your Property for Winter

1. Clean Up the Lawn

Continue mowing until the frost hits. Cut grass to about two to three inches so that nutrients will still get in, which also prevents fungal growth if the grass gets too high.

Make sure leaves are consistently raked and removed so that they don’t compact and provide the perfect conditions for mold and fungi, and clean up acorns to stop them from getting wedged in your soil.

2. Fertilize the Grass

Fall is the perfect time for fertilizing your landscaping and giving it the right nutrients to get through the colder temperatures. Choose fertilizer high in potassium and have the soil tested to ensure pH levels are correct. Add horticultural lime to make it more alkaline if it reads too acidic.

3. Care for Trees & Shrubs

Delicate shrubs can be become damaged if too much winter precipitation piles up. Wrap them in a breathable fabric, such as burlap, to keep them in place and protected. Add stakes to stabilize young trees or delicate limbs.

Additionally, give your trees and shrubs a good watering that will help them survive even the coldest snap. Take a watering break in late summer and early fall before leaves drop so that the trees naturally strengthen for the cold temperatures. Before the ground freezes in late fall, hydrate them well.

4. Sort the Vegetable Garden

Harvest the last of your fruits and vegetables at the end of the season. Sort through plants and place any remaining matter in a compost bin. If you don’t remove it, you may leave your garden open to diseases and pests.

Till the garden carefully to prevent weed growth, and add mulch over the top layer of your crops to protect and insulate them from harsh conditions. Mulch also helps maintain moisture and reduces weed growth.

5. Check on Perennials

Clean up debris, old stems, and leaves in perennial beds, and add a layer of mulch to protect the root system of each plant and flower. Just like in other parts of your garden, mulch provides insulation in winter weather and protects your greenery from diseases, pests, and weeds.

For help winterizing your landscaping, trust the team at Wilson Garden Center Inc. Landscaping & Tree Service. Located in Hamilton, OH, and serving Butler County since 1979, the landscape and garden center provides tree services as well as mulch and other supplies for your property. They also offer emergency tree removal. Whatever questions or concerns you have, someone is always on-site to answer. Call (513) 863-5831 to learn more about the company or visit them online to see examples of their work.