Winter Landscape Maintenance 101

Winter may seem like a dormant season where nature takes a break, but the truth is that winter is an important time to make sure your landscape will be healthy and vibrant in the springtime. In Virginia, our winters can vary from mild to harsh, which makes regular professional landscape maintenance necessary even during the colder months.

Is Lawn Maintenance in Winter Necessary?

Winter yard maintenance can make a difference in the long-term appearance of your property. Let’s explore some of the benefits of lawn care in winter.

Help Your Plants Survive the Winter

Winter weather in Central Virginia can be unpredictable. Snow, ice, and fluctuating temperatures pose risks to your landscape. Without proper maintenance, your lawn, trees, shrubs, and other plants may suffer from frost damage, broken branches, and more.

Professional care from a company like Green Side Up can prepare your yard for winter to withstand harsh conditions. Our winter maintenance includes things like mulching, which helps insulate plants and their delicate roots, and pruning, which prevents snow and ice from accumulating on weak branches.

1. Keep Your Landscape Beautiful

Even in the winter, your property’s appearance matters. Winter yard maintenance includes removing fallen leaves and other debris, such as twigs and branches, to prevent mold from growing in your lawn or plant beds. Besides the health benefits for your landscape, regular winter yard care keeps your property as beautiful as it is the rest of the year. 

2. Prepare for Spring Planting

A well-maintained winter garden sets the stage for a successful spring. Yard work in the colder months helps you avoid an overwhelming amount of work once the weather warms up. Preparing your yard for winter can include aeration to allow water and nutrients to reach roots more effectively and overseeding to fill bare spots in your lawn.

Winter yard prep also includes pre-emergent herbicides and fertilization to give your lawn or garden the best chance of success. At Green Side Up, our science-first team knows exactly what yards in the Richmond and Williamsburg areas need to thrive. 

3. Get Your Lawn Ready to Grow

Many people assume that once you mow for the final time in the autumn, your grass is dead and doesn’t need any care until spring. However, in Central Virginia, grass doesn’t die; it just goes dormant. Professional landscapers like the team at Green Side Up will mow your lawn to the correct height before the first frost. Starting the winter season with properly mowed grass reduces the risk of disease and mold growing beneath the snow. Winter lawn care also includes fertilization to strengthen your grass’s roots and prepare it to flourish as soon as temperatures start to rise again.

What Does Winter Lawn Care Entail?

So what exactly do landscapers do in the winter? Let’s explore what the team at Green Side Up typically focuses on during these crucial months.

• Leaf and debris removal: We’ll clear autumn leaves and any other debris to make your landscape look tidy and prevent places where mold can grow or snakes can nest.
• Final lawn cutting: We’ll mow your lawn one last time before the first frost to make sure your grass isn’t too tall before it is covered with snow.
• Mulching: A fresh layer of mulch helps protect plant roots from freezing
• Tree and shrub pruning: Without leaves, it’s easier to see the structure of the tree, which allows our team to make more precise cuts. Pruning during the dormant season also encourages new growth in the spring.
• Winter weed control: It can be easier to remove unwanted plants in the winter since they’re not actively growing. Our team will also lay down pre-emergent herbicides to target weeds you don’t want before they even start to grow.
• Deer damage prevention: Our team will protect the health of your shrubs and trees from hungry deer by various methods, including wrapping them with material to discourage nibbling.

The Risks of Neglecting Winter Yard Care

Although it may seem easier to skip lawn care during the winter months, doing so can lead to problems that may be expensive or difficult to treat later.

• Tree and shrub damage: Heavy snow and ice can cause branches to break and even fall, which can damage not only the trees themselves but also buildings or vehicles in the area.
• Soil erosion: Winter storms and melting snow can lead to soil erosion, particularly in sloped yards. Erosion not only damages your landscape but also endangers the foundation of your home or other structures.
• Weed growth: Weeds can spring up in neglected areas and overtake bare spots. If not dealt with, they can make it more difficult to maintain a healthy lawn in the spring.