Tips for what needs to be done in the yard before winter is upon us.
How often do we say it… time flies!
Fall will be over before we know it and winter is right around the corner. Here are a handful of things you can do to prepare your yard for a few months of winter rest.
• Once the leaves fall off the trees, use this as an indicator of when it is okay to divide bulbs and perennials, or transplant anything in the yard that you have wanted to move. Make sure that you continue watering anything you plant or transplant this fall until the end of December.
• I find that mulching perennial bed protects these plants more from the cold, as well as not cutting them all the way back to the ground until March when winter is winding down. Cut them back half-way this fall to protect the crown of the plant from the coldest of winter days.
• Heavy pruning on anything in the yard should now cease until mid to late February. Pruning things back to heavy this close to winter leaves fresh cut plants vulnurable to cold damage.
• Clean out the veggie garden of all left over spring and fall plant debris and plant a winter cover crop. Make sure you take notes as to where you had things planted in your garden so that if you want to make changes to your layout you can reference what you did the previous year. A good cover crop for winter would either be annual rye grass, alfalfa, or clover.
• Empty rain barrels and store away for winter, as well as garden hoses, and patio furniture. All of these items will last longer if they are kept protected from harsh winter weather.
• Fertilize all your shrubbery and your lawn in November or December using OPH “winter care” fertilizer. This feeding will increase your plant’s ability to store up carbohydrates for superior plant hardiness in January and February.
• Remember, do all your big landscape projects in the fall. Everything from planting a tree to re-working that landscape around the patio. You spend your money more wisely when you plant in the fall, because your plants have more time to get deeply rooted before warm weather arrives.
