Winter is the time when leaves began to shred from the trees. Those who have a yard with grass, trees, flowers and shrubs which have been carefully cultivated and kept healthy in spring and summer but does not want to waste all that work that they have done for their yard. As winter is a time for outside plants and trees to gear up for another growing season. Therefore it becomes quite necessary to take proper care of the trees and plants present in the yard. So here are some tips which will help you to take proper care of your yard and plants before the winter arrives.
1. Trim and clean
The healthy height for grass blades is about 2 1/2 inches. You must keep on cutting your lawn during the fall as long as it keeps growing. There are many people who think that they should let their lawns grow longer while in reality mice and voles love the long grass under the snow. Many people might have suggested you that lower the blades on your mower to about 2 inches in order to minimize potential problems.
You should not let leaves pile up on your yard. You must clean the leaves from your yard. Try to build up of leaves blocks out the sunlight grass blades for the grass to keep healthy. A mower with a mulch setting or a bag attachment makes leaf clean up easier. If you prefer to use the old-fashioned rake method then remember that leaves make great mulches in gardens and are also likely to add valuable nutrients to a compost pile. Therefore do not burn them or just throw them out.
2. Aeration
Aeration is a process which helps to open up the soil and also helps to give a better environment to the roots of the grass. In order to do such things you can rent an aerator at most home stores and aerating your yard will not take much time. This will help to compact the soil. The compaction of the soil is lost either due to excessive traffic or the thatch from the lawn clippings and litter exceeds 1/2 inch in depth.
3. Fertilization
Falling of leaves during the winter is considered to be the best time for fertilizing your yard. If you are able to apply good fertilizer then it will give your yard a real pre-winter boost and get it ready for the upcoming cold. You could even take the soil sample and have it tested in order to determine the exact nutrients your yard requires. In the early spring you need to apply higher amount of nitrogen for quick green up whereas during winter you need to apply greater amount of potassium so that the roots of the grass in your yard are ready to survive the harsh winter weather. Nitrogen helps to build strong and healthy roots while the potassium helps your yard to survive from the cold.
4. Seeding
Fall time is considered to be a good time to add seed to your yard so that it grows thick and resists weeds. However do not just grab the first yard seed you see on sale at the home centre. There are different grass-seed mixtures that are designed for different conditions such as shade or direct sun. After seeding, give your yard a good watering so that the seeds can get off to a good start.
5. Mulching of leaves
Redistributing the leaves back into the yard is the easiest and most beneficial way to handle them. Keep up with them and stay on a consistent schedule so that there will be a layer of leaves on your yard that is too thick to be effectively mulched.
6. Yard care
Fall is considered to be the time to clear all the plants from the season and place them on your compost pile. Fall is also the perfect time to add lime or composted manure as it gives over winter to break down further and the lime takes time to affect the pH of the soil. This is the time to put a heavy layer of straw or leaves around weather sensitive plants. You can even shake them off or you can cut some of the affected area off if you so choose. This will give the tree of your yard a better look and will be ready for winter.
In the conclusion, you will want to ensure that the newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials, if you have any will be warm and dry throughout the cold months. You must also make sure the earth around them is filled in and free from cracks so that they are watered nicely and that there is a nice layer of mulch or mulched leaves around their base for added insulation.