With the holidays recently behind us, you may not be thinking of lawn care. When you have snow cover, your lawn is probably out of sight and out of mind, but it’s never too soon to be thinking about ways to keep your lawn in great shape. Winter can easily damage your lawn, so it’s important to keep it at the forefront of your mind. Most preparation should have taken place in the fall, but there are still things that you can do in the winter to help your lawn rebound even better when the warm weather returns. Make sure that you do what you can next fall to prepare your lawn for winter. Here are some NJ winter garden lawn care tips for January to care for your yard and help keep it in shape for spring.
Don’t Walk Across the Grass or Park a Vehicle on the Lawn
Walking over the grass repeatedly or parking a vehicle on your lawn in the winter can cause serious damage.
Dead Spots in the Spring
This can hurt your lawn and hinder grass from growing back. It can cause dead spots in your lawn come spring from the weight of objects and the pulling at the roots caused by someone walking across the lawn.
Remove Any Leave and Fallen Branches
If you can get to the leaves on your lawn, make sure to remove them. These will also cause dead spots in your lawn because these leaves will suffocate it.
Get Rid of Them Regularly
Similarly, make sure to keep removing any branches that fall in the winter. Not only will this help your lawn, but it will also give you less work to do come spring. Plus, it keeps the yard safer to walk around throughout the icy winter.
Water the Evergreens on Warm Days
You can water your evergreens when the temperature is warmer. This will help them get through the winter even better.
Hydration Matters
Regular maintenance of your evergreen will keep them looking lush and colorful during all the seasons of the year.
Prune Damaged Branches in Your Yard
If you’re able to get to them, prune damaged branches and remove dead wood from trees. This will help them bounce back even faster when warm weather hits.
The Bark Will Tell
A good way to test for dead branches is by scratching the bark. If you find green within it, the branch is still alive. If not, go ahead and remove it.
Spread Winter Mulch On Flower Beds and Plant Beds
You may not think of mulching your flower and plant beds in the winter, but this is a great way to protect your plants from frost heaving.
Frost and Freezing Temperatures
Frost heaving can happen in either the late fall or the early spring. It happens when the soil is exposed to freezing temperatures and moisture. Pressure is created when freezing and thawing alternate and lift the plants out of the ground. Insulate your plants or garden with branches from your old Christmas tree or wood chips. This will help prevent the frost from penetrating the ground.
Gravel, Sand, or Kitty Litter to Minimize Ice on Walkways
Salt can be really damaging to your lawn. Make sure not to shovel snow containing salt onto your grass. Instead of using sodium chloride-based salt, use gravel, sand, kitty litter or even calcium chloride-based salt mixtures. These are much easier on your lawn in winter.
Schedule Snow Removal
Contact a local landscaping service to schedule regular snow removal. This ensures your walkway, driveway, and other common areas are safe to access.
Plan For the Spring
During the winter months, you can start making your plan for your spring lawn, garden and flower beds. You can also make a plan for different bulbs that you want to plant in the ground come spring.
Attend Home and Garden Shows for Ideas
Home and garden shows are great places to consult with professionals about your landscaping. Make sure to look at the schedule ahead of time to plan out your visit. There are a lot of things to see, so going in with a plan of what you want to accomplish will assure that you get done what you need to. You can make appointments with professionals for the spring as well. These shows are great places to collect ideas for your lawn and garden. Maybe you’re unhappy with your lawn. You’ll be able to see many options to consider for your own yard.
Year Round Landscaping Services
Hiring a professional to plow your driveway and control your ice will help your lawn stay in better shape. Professionals are skilled in this type of work and can minimize the damage done to your lawn. You can easily rip up your own lawn if you’re not careful with a snow blower or shovel. Plus, a landscaper can remove stray branches, maintain evergreens, and more to keep your yard looking fantastic all the tie.
It’s important to stay on top of your lawn and garden care, even in the winter. Spring will be here before you know it. When you have less damage done to your lawn in the winter, you create an easier time getting your lawn to grow in the spring once warmer weather arrives.
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