Spring is on the way, but, for now, we are still in the midst of winter here in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington. Since winter can be so cold and dismal, it is easy to fall behind (or, altogether, ignore) our landscape duties during this time of year. However, winter is an important time to take care of several landscape tasks.
Clean-Up
Winter weather can cause a lot of debris to collect throughout our landscapes; leaf-litter, branches and other debris often accumulate throughout our lawns and garden beds. It is best to clean up this debris as soon as possible, to avoid any damages to our lawns and structures. Debris left on lawns will quickly create dead or brown spots, which can become more costly to fix. Furthermore, during the winter months, the growth of plants slows down, which includes weed growth as well. This slowing of undesirable plant growth makes cleaning out your flower or garden beds easier and ensures that these plants will not immediately return, which can often happen during the warmer months of spring and summer. Therefore, winter is one of the best times to get caught up with weeding.
Trimming and Pruning
Since most shrubs, trees, and bushes become dormant during the winter months, this is an ideal time to trim and prune these types of plants. Waiting to prune or trim bushes, trees, and shrubs until late spring or summer, when these plants are actively growing, is not as advisable as performing this task during winter because it can shock the plant as it tries to form new growth. Trimming bushes and shrubs refers to the removal of overgrowth and the shaping of these plants. Pruning refers to removing dead or diseased portions of the plant.
Mulching
Applying mulch to your landscape has many benefits. Mulching can be done any time of the year but performing this task during the winter months will give you a head start in combatting weed growth come springtime. Mulching helps block sunlight and air from reaching the roots of unwanted plants, which slows the germination process, resulting in far less weed growth. As mentioned above, there are even more benefits of adding mulch to your landscape including fighting against erosion, insulating established, desirable plants, as well as retaining moisture, and building soil.
Fertilizing
Another task to consider performing during the winter months is fertilizing your lawns. During the colder months, your lawn becomes dormant. A lawn in dormancy forces it to survive off the nutrients it has stored throughout the rest of the year. Therefore, as your lawn comes out of its winter hibernation, most of these stored nutrients have been depleted. If your lawn does not receive these vital nutrients, dead or brown spots can occur. This is why it is important to ensure that your lawn has the nutrients it needs to remain lush and happy, and the best way to achieve this is through fertilization. In other words, adding fertilizer in winter will ensure your lawn has all the nutrients it needs as it awakens from its winter slumber.
These are just a few vital tasks to consider performing during the winter months. If you are in need of any landscape service, please contact us today or fill out our FREE estimate request online. Stay warm, spring is coming!