The 2 minute primer: Getting your landscape ready for winter
The 4 keys to a lush green lawn is proper pre-winter care:
At the end of September the lawn should be reseeded in any bare patches or areas. The fall is a great time for grass to grow while the soil is warm. The ground temperature is perfect and rain naturally waters the lawn. Filling in the bare areas now will mean less new weeds in the spring.
In the middle of October an application of winterizing fertilizer without nitrogen should be applied.
Make sure that all of the leaves are raked up. Not only have fallen leaves led to lawsuits but they become a real mess and prevent light from reaching your lawn.
Make sure that the last lawn cutting for the year is not too short. Ideal height for turfgrass is 1.5″ – 2″ this will allow the roots to be stronger.
Trim and prune your hedges and shrubs for winter
Towards the end of fall is a good time to have your landscaper clean out the shrubs and garden beds. Now that the shrubs and hedges’ summer growth has stopped it is the most cost effective time of year to get your shrubs and hedges trimmed and thinned out. Shrubs and hedges will hold their shape for many months as they are not growing rapidly during the cooler seasons.
Mulching is the best value-per-dollar in your landscape:
Covering the garden beds with decomposed mulch is by far the best money you can spend in your garden. It really is a win-win solution providing cost savings. Save money on labour from reduced time spent weeding. Save money on plant loss and maintenance as mulch retains moisture for the plants during the summer and keeps the roots warm in the winter. The mulch also breaks down and enriches the soil and looks really sharp which is always a good end goal.