During the warm months when your lawn and plants are thriving, the role of a good landscape service is obvious. But do you need their services during the cold, dormant months of fall and winter? The answer is yes, and here are just five of the important tasks that they can do for your yard.
1. Preventing Snow/Ice Damage. If you live in a cold climate that gets its fair share of wintry precipitation, your yard needs someone to oversee its health. A landscaping service can monitor the situation, fix potential damage to your trees and shrubs, improve drainage in areas that flood or freeze on the ground, and repair crushing damage to lawns underneath a snowy load.
2. Preventing Irrigation Problems. Your irrigation system is at risk when the temperature is below freezing. Start by having your landscaper properly blow out the system before the first freeze hits, then have them monitor it for ice damage during winter itself. They'll need to get it ready for spring at the end of the season.
3. Planting Spring Bulbs. If you want color from various types of bulbs in the spring, they need to be planted long before the weather gets warm again. Don't have bulbs in your yard at the moment? Winter is the perfect time to learn about these low-maintenance annuals that provide recurring color with hardly any effort on your part.
4. Performing Winter Lawn Care. A healthy lawn starts with good winter care steps. It should be aerated and dethatched in winter to allow important oxygen and minerals to get down into the soil and roots. A good fertilizer now will also help it bounce back from the harsh winter to perk back up when things warm up.
5. Pruning and Trimming. Trees are often best pruned during the dormant winter period to reduce shock. Some flowers, such as roses, are also pruned in the colder months after they've finished blooming. While they won't grow as much in winter, your lawn and shrubs will still grow a little and should be kept neat so that you don't have as much work for the early spring trims.
Could your backyard use any of these winter health tasks? No matter whether you want to be proactive to prevent winter damage or you want to prepare for a good spring growing season, cold weather care is vital to a happy and successful summer yard. Learn more about winter landscaping in your area by consulting with a local landscaping service like Estate Landscape.