You've worked hard on your backyard all spring and summer, but winter is coming, bringing harsh wind and frost. How can you protect the shrubs, plants, flowerbeds, and trees that make your outdoor space beautiful? Explore some ways to winterize your backyard and preserve your favorite plants.
Clean Up the Area
Don't leave out items that the winter wind could pick up and smash into your plants or trees. Gather all the tools and toys and put them away in outdoor storage box or shed. Take the cushions off the outdoor furniture and put them away. If there is trash or debris, pick it up and throw it in the garbage. Cover your grill, pool, and fire pit to keep out twigs, leaves, and other debris.
Add a Fresh Layer of Mulch
Do you have perennial beds and flower beds? Protect them from frost by adding a layer of mulch, like wood chips or straw. The mulch will help protect the roots of those flowers from damage during the harsh freezes of winter.
Protect Tender Plants
If you hear news of an early freeze in the fall or a late freeze in the spring, cover up tender plants with an inverted bucket. In the morning, with the temperature climbs back above freezing, you can uncover them. This way, by following steps to winterize, you can enjoy the plants a little longer.
Cover Your Shrubs
Shrubs and small bushes need protection throughout the winter, especially if you live in a very cold climate. Wrapping or covering them limits the effects of wind and low temperatures, and it prevents deer from feeding on your decorative bushes during the winter.
Place tall stakes around each shrub or set up a wooden frame. Around the stakes or the frame, drape swaths of burlap, old sheets, or yards of thick fabric. Make sure that the bush or shrub is covered, but that its foliage isn't being touched.
Stake Young Trees Correctly
If you have young trees in your yard, consider staking them. Make sure that the tie you use to attach the tree to the stake is not too loose, or it could cause rubbing. If it's too tight and too low, the top of the tree could blow off. If you have a lot of young trees on your property, you may want to call in an expert to prepare them for the winter.
Keep Sensitive Plants in Pots
Perhaps you really love a particular warm-weather plant or flower, and you want to have it on display despite the fact that it doesn't handle the cold well. Keep the plant or flowers in a large pot, and have a dolly or a wheelbarrow handy. When frost threatens, place your tender potted plants on the dolly and wheel them to your house, greenhouse, or heated shed. You can keep them indoors throughout the winter and put them back outside when the risk of frost has passed.
There are other ways to protect plants, depending on your area and the type of plants you have in your backyard. Consult with an expert about how to winterize your backyard, and get your supplies from Kurtz Bros., Inc. before the coldest days of winter arrive.