Yard Maintenance Checklist for Winter

It's possible that you're ski-snowmobiling, hiking and other outdoor activities outdoor this season, however don't ignore yard maintenance because you're having fun. Make sure your yard is protected through the spring months by following these helpful winter yard maintenance tips for snow-free and non-snowy climates.

Winter Yard Maintenance for snowy climates

If you reside in Canada or in the Northern United States, follow this checklist:

• Do winter cleanup by removing dead leaves and other debris If you weren't able to get the time to tidy up your garden during the autumn.
• Make sure you are on top of the removal of snow and ice melting efforts in order to ensure that your walkways and driveways secure. Be careful not to walk on grass that has been covered in snow as heavy footfalls compact the soil and makes it harder the lawn's ability to grow during spring.
• Install or renew your mulch in your flower beds, and then refresh your borders when the soil isn't frozen (soil temperature higher that 32 degrees). A minimum of two to four inches of mulch or straw, bark or leaves protect the soil and helps to limit the damage to roots caused by the freeze-thaw cycle.
• Take away dead, diseased or injured plants. It is best to wait until spring before replacing them.
• Transfer potted perennials indoors when possible, or plant them in the ground.
• Protect sensitive plant life using burlap, or the frost-proof fabrics to guard against damage from freezing.
• Prune dormant plants and trees. Get rid of dead or diseased branches first. After that, beginning at the center, and then moving to the outside reduce the canopy in order to improve air circulation and encourage new healthy growth in the spring.
• Get rid of annuals in your garden after they die, their roots and everything else.
• Reduce ornamental grasses to create a neater winter garden.
• Remove your outdoor Christmas lights after the holiday season has ended.
• Apply "dormant" oil to your horticulture plants. It kills pests that overwinter like aphids, scale and certain mites. It's more sustainable than conventional insecticides, and is not harmful to beneficial wildlife and insects.

Winter Yard Maintenance in Non-Snow Climates

If you reside in a warmer climate where snow is not common or absent, you should follow this list:

• Mow and trim the lawn every month or whenever the lawn continues to grow in the winter months in your area.
• Overseed grass that is warm-season once the temperatures are consistently to below 65 degrees F (18 degree C).
• Get rid of debris and blowing leaves once per month or when needed.
• Install or replace your the mulch within your garden beds. Also, refresh your borders. In warmer climates, this helps to reduce evaporation, protects the roots, stifles the growth of weeds, and reduces erosion.
• Take away and replace dead, diseased or damaged plants to enhance the overall health and appearance the winter landscape.
• Prune trees and plants in the dormant time of year.
• Apply winter herbicides to keep weeds under control. There are pre-herbicides that can be used for stopping the growth of weeds and post-herbicides for tackling the weeds that have begun to increase in size.
• Apply the horticultural oil. It kills the overwintering pestslike scale, aphids, as well as certain mites. It's more eco-friendly than conventional insecticides and is not harmful to beneficial wildlife and beneficial insects.
• Trim rosebushes as well as shrubs and other perennials up to a few inches higher than the ground.
• Eliminate dead blossoms from the annual flowers, also known as deadheading.
• Apply fertilizer to the lawn as well as perennials every season.
• Check or replace the watering system to ensure maximum efficiency in accordance with your yard's watering requirements.
• Remove your outdoor Christmas lights when the season has ended.