As the winter season slowly comes to an end, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your yard for the warmer months ahead. Late winter is the perfect time to begin prepping your landscaping for the spring and summer. Here are seven late winter landscaping tips to help get you started.
1. Prune Trees and Shrubs
Late winter is a great time to prune trees and shrubs. Pruning helps to keep plants healthy and encourages new growth, and can help to promote more abundant blooms. Pruning can also help to reduce the amount of time that plants spend in a dormant state, meaning that they will spend more time in a blooming state, resulting in more flowers and fruit.
2. Clear Debris
After the winter season, your yard may be covered in leaves, twigs, and other debris. Clear all of this away before the warmer months, as it can harbor pests, encourage disease, and prevent new growth. Clearing away debris can help you create a healthy environment for your plants. Dead leaves and twigs can create a dense layer of mulch on the soil that can prevent water and air from getting to the plants’ roots. When you clear away the debris, you’ll be allowing more water and air to get to the roots, which will help them stay healthy and strong.
3. Fertilize
Late winter to early spring is actually an ideal time to fertilize your lawn and plants. Fertilizer strengthens roots, helps to promote new growth, which can help your plants and grass survive the summer heat when the time comes. An early spring lawn fertilizer is recommended once between February and April. Do this when your grass is starting to grow and look green again, in order to keep your lawn well nourished.
4. Reseed
If your lawn has suffered from winter damage, it may need to be reseeded in late winter. Wait until the ground is free from snow, ice, or mud. That way you can easily put loose soil over the seeds. Reseeding in late winter will help ensure that your lawn will be ready for summer.
5. Plant New Trees and Shrubs
Late winter is the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs because it gives your new plants time to become established before the hot weather hits. It is best to plant any trees or plants during the dormant season. The cooler temperatures and moist soil make for ideal conditions for your plants to take root and grow.
6. Edge Beds
Late winter is a great time to edge your flower beds.Creating an edge can be a great way to give your flowerbed a neat and tidy look, and can also help to keep grass, weeds, and other plants from creeping into the bed.
7. Add Mulch
Mulch your garden to help the soil to stay moist and healthy Though this is more important in the warm summer months, beginning to mulch in late winter will prepare your soil for the growing season. Adding mulch when the ground is soft will also allow important nutrients to soak into the soil. This will be especially useful to bulbs you’ve planted in the fall, as they prepare to pop up in the early spring.
By following these simple tips, you can get a jumpstart on your spring landscaping and make sure your yard looks its best for the warmer months. Jack’s Lawncare & Landscaping is here to help with your landscaping needs year-round. Reach out today to find out how we can help you best prepare for your perfect yard by the warmer season.
