Can You Landscape in the Winter?
Many people are hesitant to landscape in the winter. A common question people always ask is “can you landscape in the winter?”. They may think that they can’t get their lawn mower out, or can’t find any plants at their local garden center. The truth is that snow and ice in Virginia doesn’t last for long, meaning yes, you can landscape in the winter! Below we’ve put together some winter landscaping ideas and lawn care tips!
- Winter Landscaping Ideas
- How to Have a Green Lawn in the Winter
- 5 Winter Lawn Care Tips
- Lawn Care After Snow Melts
- FAQs
- Contact our Commercial Landscapers!
Winter Landscaping Ideas:
- Consider mulching: Mulch helps keep grass from getting too dry, which means less watering. It also keeps weeds down and protects soil from freezing in the winter.
- Start thinking about winter color: Around the start of December, the leaves have already fallen off of most trees and the Holliday season has arrived. One tree to consider planting is Evergreens. They’re hardy plants that grow well even when they don’t get enough sunlight during the cold months. Evergreens don’t only come in green, they come with a variety of colors, from green, to yellow and blue as well!
- Don’t forget about shrubs: Shrubs will look great all year round, but especially when they’re covered with leaves and snow.
- Think about hardscapes: The key to enhancing your yard in the winter may not be a plant. Your driveway, walkways, patios, etc… need to be prepared for the cold weather as well. Take this time to asses your landscape and figure out what hardscapes you’d like to implement.
- Plant perennials: Pansies and Violas are great examples of perennials that thrive in the colder weather. Certain types, like the ice pansy, can even survive snowfall! These are a beautiful plant for your landscape in the winter season.
How to Have a Green Lawn in the Winter
Having a green lawn in the winter keeps up the eye appeal of your commercial business. Your lawn will need some extra maintenance during the cold weather in order to keep it looking healthy. Here’s how to maintain a green lawn in the cold weather
Can You Aerate in the Winter?
Yes, winter is a possible time to aerate your lawn, but it could get messy. Aerating is a process where you remove air pockets under the turf. Aerating in the winter can leave lots of tiny plugs of soil on the lawn’s surface. However, when you aerate in the winter you avoid the risk of the soil beneath the grass drying out, while helping with the drainage.
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Winter Lawn Care Tips:
- Water early and often
- Apply Mulch
- Fertilize early
- Know When to Mow
- Plant Winter Interest Plants
1. Water early and often
Watering in the winter is different than other times of the year like warmer summer months. If you water in the morning, it’s much easier to avoid freezing temperatures later on. Make sure you water your grass everyday! Keep an eye out for signs of a drought. As the temperature drops, so does evaporation. This means that your grass needs more water than usual. Look for yellowing of the grass, cracks in the surface, and brown patches.
2. Apply Mulch
Mulching around trees, plants, and shrubs provides additional protection against the cold weather in winter. Mulching is also an important means of controlling erosion and loss of water. A 2-inch layer of mulch will reduce water loss and help maintain uniform soil temperature around the roots.
3. Fertilize Early
Make sure to fertilize your lawn in the fall so that it can stay healthy throughout the winter season. Fertilizing before the ground freezes ensures that your grass has enough nutrients to grow strong and healthy through the winter.
4. Know When to Mow
Mowing your grass at a higher height allows for more sunlight to penetrate the grass blades. This will help protect the grass from cold weather damage. Also refrain from mowing your lawn after rain. Using a lawnmower on wet grass has the potential to damage and kill the roots.
5. Plant Winter Interest plants
During the winter months, you want to focus on planting winter interest plants. These are plants that don’t require a lot of attention and can survive cold conditions. You can easily take care of these plants by trimming them back once every few weeks.
You should consider adding evergreen trees or plants such as pine and spruce trees into your yard because they can survive even the harshest winter conditions. These popular winter plants can improve your winter landscape.
How to Handle Lawn Care After Snow Melts
Landscaping in the winter means dealing with the possibility of snow. Don’t start lawn care right away when you notice the first signs of snow melting. If you take an aggressive approach to removing damage from your landscape, there’s always a chance that some plants may be uprooted completely.
Wait for each area of your lawn to thaw completely from the snow before starting the process. As soon as the lawn is dry, take time for a quick cleanup of branches and other debris. Make sure to rake your lawn thoroughly if you notice there is a great amount of dead grass after the snow melts!
Check for Snow Mold!
When a heavy layer of snow blankets grasses before they’ve had time to freeze, snow molds occur. Snow mold is a fungal disease that grows on wet leaves and branches during winter. The fungus causes the leaves to turn brown and fall off. After snow melts, sweep any areas affected by snow mold with a rake and replace damaged spots with new sod.
Do Landscapers Work in the Winter?
The landscapers here at CLC, Inc work throughout the winter for commercial businesses in the Central Virginia area. Landscaping is one of those things that you can’t really put off until springtime. If you wait too long, you’ll be faced with a lot of weeds and other unwanted growth. If you’re looking for someone to help you out with your winter grass maintenance and landscaping in the winter for your commercial business, contact us today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Snow mold looks like small white spots on the leaves of plants. The spores of snow mold are carried by wind and rain from one plant to another. If you find snow mold on your lawn, remove it immediately, as it may be harmful to your lawn.
The best way to prevent snow molds from growing on lawns is to remove them when they appear. If you don’t remove them, they’ll continue to grow until they cover the entire lawn.
Yes, dogs can be allergic to snow mold. The symptoms include itching, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and coughing.
Yes, you should fertilize in the late fall before the first snowfall. Plants need food to feed on throughout the cold weather and fertilizer will strengthen the roots for the next year.
Mulching should wait until after the first winter frost to do it. Mulching helps stabilize the temperature of the soil.