Winter is just a few months away, which means the temperatures will continue to drop and the sun will change its direction as we get further into the year.
You should use this time to prepare your landscape for the upcoming change in seasons. Neglecting your landscape will increase the risk of damage caused by these seasonal changes.
Maintain Taller Grass
There’s nothing wrong with mowing your lawn down to just 1-1.5” during the spring and summer, but you should raise it during the winter. The cold winter temperatures will stress grass, potentially killing it if it’s too short.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your grass no shorter than 2.5” during the winter. This seems to be the sweet spot that works well for most varieties of grass.
Remove Debris
The next time you are outside doing yard work, take a few moments to clear away any leaves, pine straw, branches, or other debris that’s covering the landscape.
While it may seem harmless enough, allowing debris to cover your landscape may encourage the spreading of fungi and disease. Furthermore, it will restrict the amount of sunlight your grass receives.
The bottom line is that you need to keep your yard clean and free of debris, especially as we approach the winter months.
Add Mulch
Add an inch or two of mulch to plants and trees in your yard. Mulch serves a few basic purposes, one of which is to insulate and protect against frost shock.
If a sudden cold snap hits, the mulch will lock in plants’ moisture, protecting them from the brutally cold temperatures. Mulch also contains beneficial nutrients on which plants thrive, which is another reason why you should use it in your beds.
Remove Annual Plants
If you have annual plants in your yard, you’ll want to go ahead and remove them now. Not all plants are capable of growing during the winter, regardless of how much attention you give them.
You can, however, transplant them into pots, and then move them inside until the spring.
Cover Vulnerable Plants
Worried that your existing plants will sustain injury during the winter? Well, you can always cover them for another barrier of protection against the cold temperatures.
Using a special frost protection fabric, toss the cover over your plants at night and on exceptionally cold days.
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
Hydrating plants during the summer is such an important part of preparing plants for winter-especially trees. Great tips!
Good point Hannah. One other thing people seem to forget is that their trees and lawn need to be watered, although less frequently, during the winter to keep the root structure alive and healthy.
I, too, try to keep my lawn a little longer during the winter. I have never gone out and measured 2.5 inches, but for me, longer is better. Hopefully, by doing this, my grass will be healthy when springtime comes around.