The 4 Biggest Landscaping Mistakes for Fall and Winter and How to Avoid Them
Knowing what to do and what not to do when it comes to landscaping during the Fall and Winter months can be difficult.
It’s the off season, so does your landscape even need your attention? Should you even do anything to your grass during Winter? Should you prune your trees and shrubs? What do you do with all those fallen leaves? The questions go on and on. Good news though, we’re here to help! Read on to start learning!
4 biggest landscaping mistakes and how to avoid them
1 . IRRIGATION MISTAKES
People often forget to water their plants and lawn during the cold Winter months. It sounds like a no brainer, but it’s often a reason that most lawns and plants don’t do well. Your plants and lawn still need water to survive and adjusting to fit the season is important.
Here’s How to Avoid It:
During the colder months, change your start time for irrigation to later in the day to avoid icing. You’ll also want to turn back irrigation as a whole, but NOT off completely. Adjust the frequency you water according to how much rainfall you’ve had.
2 . FERTILIZATION MISTAKES
If you think fertilizing in the Winter is the same as fertilizing in the Summer months, you’ve got another thing coming! Many people continue to fertilize the same way and then wonder way their lawn doesn’t respond the same way it normally does in the warmer months.
Here’s How to Avoid It:
Your lawn’s needs change as the weather does and therefore you have to cater to those changes. During the Fall and Winter you want to make sure that your fertilizer is just potassium based. You’ll want to stay away from any that have Nitrogen or Phosphorus in them. If you want some more explanation on this, check out our blog here.
3 . MULCHING MISTAKES
Volcanoes are scary, especially ones made of mulch. Confused? We’ll explain. You know how you see the mulch under trees piled up like an anthill underneath the tree? That’s what volcano-ing is and it basically reverses all the good things that mulch is made to do.
Here’s How to Avoid It:
Strategically place the mulch under your tree so that it angles ever so slightly towards the tree. When the mulch is “volcanoed”, it causes issues with water retention as well as with the root system.
When the mulch is piled up against the trunk of a tree, it keeps the moisture where it shouldn’t be, like on the tree bark, which makes the tree highly susceptible to disease and decay. Piled up mulch can also mess with the root system. It can cause some roots to suffocate and some to grow up into the mulch rather than the actual soil.
4 . LAWN CARE MISTAKES
Many people often forget to alter their mower deck once cooler weather comes around which results in them cutting their lawn too short and not allowing it to gain as many nutrients. People will often forget about picking up those pesky leaves and grass clippings as well. While these seem miniscule, if they are left on your lawn and start to create a layer above your grass, it can suffocate your lawn and prevent it from having proper aeration.
Here’s How to Avoid It:
When the cooler weather starts rolling in, it’s important to remember to raise your mower deck to at least 3 inches so that you can keep your lawn longer and allow it to build up more nutrients that it’ll need during the cold months.
You need to remember to pick up those leaves and grass clippings as well. You can use fallen leaves as mulch and organic fertilizer for your turf and plant beds or you can add them to a compost bin. An easy way to scoop up grass clippings and leaves is to use a bagging mower.
It’s important to know the changes that you need to make to your landscape maintenance as the seasons change. Maintenance changes doesn’t necessarily mean more work, it just means specific work. That’s so important in the overall health of your lawn and landscape. So take the time, do your research, and get the right supplies for the right job. You won’t regret it!
