Preparing Your Landscape for the Dormant Season
What does buttoning and prepping for winter mean?
Very simply, there are many things that can (and should) be done before the temps get below freezing for an extended period so that your landscapes are ready to go to sleep for a long winter’s nap. As Fall progresses, these jobs aren’t only beneficial to the plants themselves, but can also make your property look more presentable in the “off” season. Would you go outside unprepared for cold winter temps? Of course, you wouldn’t… so put on that coat and take the journey. Maggie is ready!
What things should I be doing to prep for winter’s wrath?
There's are more than a few jobs that can be done to help your landscapes prior to winter. Fertilizing your shrubs and trees with Organic, slow-release nutrients is tremendously helpful as throughout winter, the nutrients will slowly be absorbed into the plants and come spring, VOILA! Pruning is also an important procedure. And you certainly want to prune prior to decorating for the holidays. Giving a fall fertilization to your lawn is also key. Similar to your shrubs, the slow -release fertilizer will feed your grass over time and in spring, it’ll green up faster. Just because your plants go dormant doesn’t mean there won’t be days when the temperature is abnormally warm, and that’s where the fertilizer comes in.
Why is it important to do these jobs?
As I eluded to above, the health of your shrubs, trees and lawn in spring are the focus. By fertilizing in fall, whether to your plant material or your lawn, they will survive winter’s wrath better, just as when we’re run down, eating nutritious food helps us feel better. Pruning in fall before it gets too cold helps your landscapes look neat and tidy and in spring, that flush of new growth won’t get too out of control.
But what else can you do?
Prune down some of those perennials, leaving all seed heads on the ground for the birds and wildlife, but also for natural reseeding come spring. You may have noticed I said “some” of your perennials. Beneficial insects love certain perennial stems; they overwinter in them, so leave some for their benefit, especially if in an out-of-the-way area. It’s also a good idea to “leave the leaves!” The leaf mold adds nutrients to your plant material, so blow the leaves into your beds and all winter, the plants will thank you for it. Leaves also insulate.
What should we do with the lawn?
Well, as stated above, apply an organic fertilizer that over winter, will continuously feed your grass plants. Leaving some leaves is also a good idea. Rather than removing them completely, mulch them up with your mower. Those added nutrients will be perfect for the soil beneath the lawn. Organic material is a plus! Please stop watering. As summer temps fade away, so too does the need to water. Have you ever noticed that in fall, the ground stays wet much longer? Why? Because the plant material doesn’t need much anymore in their dormancy, so the water is not being sucked up as readily. Finally, when doing your final cut of the year, DO NOT cut the lawn too low. Generally, the height of the lawn is proportional to the length of the roots below. Short turf = short roots.
Is there anything else I can do to protect my shrubs?
Yes! Applying an anti-desiccant to the underside leaf surface of your broadleaf evergreen shrubs will help stop them from drying out over winter. Even though your plants are dormant, they still require minimal water on occasion. Spraying anti-desiccant seals up the hole under the leaves called the stomata. That hole is where the water transpires, unless sealed off for winter. This will help shrubs like boxwoods from turning brown from the cold, desiccating winds that undoubtedly happen every winter.
To sum things up…
Treat your properties as you would treat yourselves. Feed it when necessary, keep it groomed nicely and give it some extra TLC in trying times. When you do this, then you can relax and watch a late fall sunset, knowing well that you’ve protected your valuable landscape.
Joe Gentile, Owner
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