As George R. R. Martin wrote, “Winter is coming.” And the chilling effect it had on his characters is similar to the oncoming hard transition on your plants. If you, like much of the country, live in a place where winter means ice, snow, and subfreezing temperatures, protecting the lives of the vegetation in your lawn and garden is paramount.
Getting everybody ready for winter is a task you can handle, though. Here’s what you need to do:
Cutting and Watering Lawns for the Winter
For many people, winter is a reprieve from lawn care, but the care you give your lawn before putting it to bed and during the cold season can greatly impact how well it survives to spring. For example, your last mow can affect disease and damage susceptibility.
“Mow the lawn at a lower height than usual to prevent mold growth, around half an inch shorter, but also make sure not to cut the grass too short as it can cause stress or expose the crowns to potentially damaging frost,” says Matthew Koch, director of biotechnology, genetics, lawn nutrition and seed at the ScottsMiracle-Gro in Dublin, Ohio.
The other major lawn care chore in the winter, according to Koch, is watering. Yes, watering. You don’t need to water often, he says, but an occasional drink is helpful.
“All living things depend on water to survive, and your lawn can dry out in the winter just like it can during the summer,” says Koch. “Plants in dormancy use water to prevent their membranes from freezing and ice from causing tissue damage.”
Have Your Trees Inspected by an Arborist
Trees can be a huge winter hazard as trees with undetected diseases or damage may become seriously compromised when burdened by high ice and snow loads. When those branches snap, the results can be catastrophic. That’s why arborists recommend that you have your mature trees checked regularly.
“Falling trees and limbs can cause serious damage,” says Blake Watkins, certified master arborist and operations partner at Monster Tree Service in Sacramento, California. “If you have large trees in striking distance of your home, regular inspection by a certified arborist is the best way to make sure your trees are healthy and to spot any hazardous trees before they become a problem.”
Watkins adds that although winter may not seem like a great time for tree work, the lack of leaves and slower business for arborists can play to your advantage. Fewer leaves mean better visibility and easier-to-spot issues, and less business could result in discounted services.
To Drain or Not to Drain Your Pond
Water features can be a serious headache when winter sets in. Their winter care is a constant source of confusion among garden enthusiasts everywhere. According to experts, though, draining is not necessary, if you can care for your pond properly through winter.
“We have both drained and not drained our ponds in the winter,” says Mark Konlock, director of horticulture at Green Bay Botanical Garden in Green Bay, Wisconsin. “If you are overwintering fish, use a heater and aerator to keep the ice that will form open for gas exchange and to add oxygen to the water.”
Konlock adds that if you’re not draining your pond, you’ll want to make sure that your pipes don’t freeze, which can cause serious damage that becomes apparent when they thaw. This is best done by plugging the pond, draining the pipes, removing any pumps or mechanical parts, and performing any additional maintenance that’s suggested by your pond’s owner’s manual.
Cleaning Up Perennials: Pros and Cons
Perhaps one of the most hotly debated topics among gardening circles is winter garden cleanup. Previously, it was generally accepted that removing all dead plant material in the fall was wise, but now with a greater emphasis on the survival of pollinator communities, opinions are changing.
“There is a lot of discussion about leaving perennials and other plants in the garden for the pollinators,” says Pam Bennett, state master gardener volunteer program director at Ohio State University Extension and All-America Selections judge based in Springfield, Ohio.
“I have a large perennial bed and can’t wait until spring to cut everything back, so I cut back those perennials that don’t have woody stems, such as hosta, and then leave a few of those plants with woody stems, such as coneflower, for the pollinators, since many of our native bee species overwinter in woody stems.”
If you’re inclined to let your landscaping go to the bees this winter, but your HOA isn’t, creating habitat pockets might be a good solution for your suburban garden.
“The danger in cutting back and cleaning up everything is you’ve removed existing and potential habitat for important pollinators,” says Mark Dwyer, owner of Landscape Prescriptions by MD in Janesville, Wisconsin. “Cleanup in spring that minimizes the impact on these resident pollinators is typically safe after three sequential days of at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Many folks do a bit of tidying in fall but leave untouched habitat pockets throughout their landscapes for attention when it warms in spring.”
There is one last thing you may want to be aware of before icy conditions set in salt and ice melt. These products can do major damage to your plants if they regularly run off into them. The solution is to apply ice melt products carefully.
Preparing for Cold and Icy Weather
“The ice or snow should disappear along with the ice melt and, when you are done, there should be no excess ice melt product still on the treated surface,” says Samuel Schmitz, horticulture faculty at Triton College in River Grove, Illinois. “All that should remain is a little bit of a shimmer in the sun from the minor amount of dried residue left after the melt and drying cycle is complete.”
Fortunately, if your yard is overly salted, there is a solution, says Schmitz. Applying pelletized gypsum can help bind salt and then it will be flushed away with spring irrigation or heavy rains, depending on what’s typical in your area.
Getting your lawn and garden ready for winter can feel like a huge chore. After all, you’ve been caring for your plants through the spring, summer, and fall; you may feel you deserve a little break in the winter. Luckily, the work you’ll need to do for winter garden care is minimal, and in some areas, just enough to get outside and enjoy the fresh air on a few select weekends.