As the weather starts changing during the autumn months, people naturally start thinking about how to prep their homes for the use of the heater or fireplace and make sure their windows are insulated against the chill of winter. However, one thing many homeowners overlook is how they should be preparing their landscaping and other outdoor property for the winter as well. Without proper preparation, your lawn and garden could be wrecked by the time the warmer months start to roll around. So to make sure all your hard work isn’t ruined by a rough winter, here are three ways to prepare your property for colder weather.
Consider Aerating
If your lawn is finally at the state that you want it by the time the summer is over, you should plan to do some preventative maintenance to ensure you don’t lose out during the cooler months. One way you can help your lawn stay fresh and healthy is to aerate while it’s still green and before it starts getting too cold. According to Kellie Houghtaling, a contributor to AngiesList.com, breaking up the soil through aeration will allow the roots of your grass to get more water and nutrients than they normally would. This means that your grass will be better able to bounce back once winter turns to spring.
Protect Your Vegetable Seedlings
For those with a garden, you may have seedlings that are still planted even when the weather cools off. However, a cold snap can often kill these little seedlings before they’re even given the chance to thrive. To keep this from happening in your garden, HGTV.com suggests either using blankets or plastic coverings on your seedlings when a cold snap is about to take place. Keep in mind, though, that once the cold snap is over, you should uncover the plants so they don’t overheat in the sunlight. Knowing this, make sure you’re aware of what the weather is doing in your area so you can best take care of your plants.
Prepare To Shake Off Your Trees
If you live in an area where you get a large accumulation of snow, you’re likely familiar with having to shovel your driveway or scrape the windows of your car. But in addition to this, Energy.gov shares that you should also be prepared to shake excess snow off of the trees in your yard. If too much snow piles up on your trees, the limbs could snap off, damaging not only the trees but anything that’s sitting below the trees as well. For this reason, move any objects from under your trees before heavy snow starts falling so you can easily shake off your tree limbs if necessary.
To ensure your yard is taken care of this winter, use the tips mentioned above to help you prepare your landscaping for the upcoming colder months.
