When it comes to winter landscaping mistakes to avoid, many homeowners don’t have a plan. Once they’ve raked up all those fallen leaves, they prefer to just let nature be nature and leave the landscaping until the spring.
However, winter landscaping is a vital part of ensuring your landscape’s health throughout the year. Neglecting it can not only lead to expensive repairs, but also long-lasting impacts on your home’s exterior.
That’s why it’s better to avoid the hassle and the frustration altogether. With some consistent effort throughout the winter months, you can make sure your home and landscape are in beautiful shape when the seasons turn in the spring.
To help you out, we’re drawing on our years of experience at Beautiful Country Tree Services to highlight five common landscaping mistakes to avoid.
Winter Landscaping Mistakes You Need To Fix
- Don’t Forget About Pests
When it comes to winter landscaping mistakes to avoid, you should never neglect mistakes that already exist. While pests may be at their worst during the spring and summer seasons, they don’t disappear completely in the winter.
Just because the temperatures are dropping, there are still pests that can threaten your landscaping, including plants, shrubs, trees, and your lawn.
Pests survive these harsh months by digging in deep below the ground to avoid freezing temperatures.
With the help of your local expert landscapers, you can know which pests are a year-round threat to your garden – and how to handle them.
- Don’t Wait Till Spring Has Sprung
With all of winter’s temptations, including holiday parties, family gatherings, and vacations, it is easy to get a little lazy with the landscaping. We’ll wait till spring, we tell ourselves.
By the time spring is here, though, it can be too late to take full advantage of the growing season.
Our advice: the best moment to plant your spring flowers is during the late winter. While the weather can still be harsh, these new plants need time to settle in.
Plus, planting your spring flowers early will make the arrival of spring and all its blooming glory all the more beautiful!
- Don’t Overdo The Weed Killer
The winter months can feel like a fresh slate for your landscape. Your plants and trees are hibernating, leaving the weeds exposed.
However, pesticides can end up hurting your plants if you apply it when the temperatures drop too far. A good rule of thumb is that if you feel cold, it’s too cold to apply pesticides.
Or if you’re looking for a specific number or threshold, we’d recommend stopping weed killer treatments at 60° F.
- Don’t Stop Watering Your Plants
So long as you’re not dealing with freezing temperatures, you should keep watering your plants.
At Beautiful Country Tree Services, our recommendation is to keep watering so long as the temperature hasn’t dropped below 40°F.
Though your plants may be dormant, they aren’t dead. They still need water! When we don’t water our plants regularly, we open the door for disease and dehydration.
By regularly watering your landscape, you can help to keep your plants healthy and well for the seasons to come.
- Don’t Shave Your Lawn
When it comes to landscaping mistakes to avoid, it’s good to keep in mind; just because it’s winter doesn’t mean your lawn has to be cut short. In fact, certain grasses thrive at different lengths.
Still, some homeowners believe that it’s best to trim their lawns down, when that type of short-cutting can do more harm than good.
Not sure what length is best for your own lawn? You’re always welcome to speak to the team at Beautiful Country Tree Services to find out more.
Prepare Your Winter Landscape With Beautiful Country Tree Services
Following these landscaping mistakes to avoid will ensure your home’s exterior is set up for success when spring comes.
The winter can also be a great time to go from regular maintenance to trying out new projects. Whether you’d like help with winter landscaping or you’re ready to discuss the vision you have for your home’s new look, Beautiful Country Tree Services can help.
We’ve been helping Maryland homeowners with their landscaping needs since 1995, and it’d be a pleasure to help you, too. You can get in touch with our expert team here.