Cold snaps can wreck havoc on a landscape, stressing trees and flowers to the point where they can no longer emerge from dormancy when spring arrives.
While there’s no way to completely avoid sudden drops in temperature, there are some steps that homeowners can take to better protect their landscape from such damage.
Keep Your Grass Taller
A good rule of thumb is to maintain a lawn height of 1 to 1.5” during the warm spring and summer months. But when winter arrives, it’s recommended that you maintain a slightly taller lawn, as the increased height will provide it with natural warmth.
Instead of 1 to 1.5”, try maintaining your lawn at 2 to 2.5”. That extra inch will insulate your lawn, reducing stress associated with cold snaps and severe winter weather.
Put Blankets Over Young Saplings
It should come as little-to-no surprise that young saplings are most vulnerable to the damaging effects of a cold snap. Therefore, it’s recommended that you cover them with tree blankets immediately before a cold snap hits. If the local meteorologist is calling for a sudden drop in temperature, toss a tree blanket over each sapling in your landscape.
These special blankets are designed specifically for trees, insulating and protecting them from cold-related stress and damage. It’s not going to protect against severe winter weather, but it will certainly help with mild-to-moderate cold snaps.
Add Mulch
Arguably, one of the best ways to protect trees, shrubs, flowers and other plantlife from a cold snap is to apply mulch around the base. Just a 1-2” layer of mulch can make a world of difference, allowing your plants and trees to survive otherwise debilitating cold weather.
Furthermore, mulch will offer valuable nutrients to your plants, supplementing with essential vitamins which are needed for proper growth and well-being.
Clear Away Debris
When was the last time that you cleaned the debris from your landscape? If it’s been weeks or even months, then now is probably a good time.
Allowing leaves, branches, and other debris to clutter your yard will only increase the chance for fungal diseases. Fungi loves to reproduce in decaying yard debris, spreading to nearby plants and trees.
This is easily prevented by maintaining a clean landscape that’s free of clutter and debris.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
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