Tips For Winterizing Your Yard This Fall

After a long summer of enjoying your backyard, it’s time to prepare for winter. The cool weather is settling in, and it is crucial to start winterizing. Stop procrastinating, the frost is coming, and you don’t want to be unprepared. Follow these tips to ensure everything off your checklist is complete! 

Start With The Grass

Cleaning the leaves is easier by removing any furniture or toys from the yard. By the time the snow arrives, your furniture will be safely inside. Once everything’s removed from the lawn, mow your grass to about 2 ½ inches long and leave the cut grass on the lawn. By leaving the clippings, 25% of the nitrogen returns to the soil. 

Aerate the lawn to allow worms and other microorganisms passage to the soil, adding nutrients. Aerating is an essential step for high-traffic lawns as they suffer if untreated due to buildup. If you want a thicker, healthier lawn by spring, you can also overseed the grass. Finally, fertilize the lawn to provide nutrients, but beware of over-fertilizing.

Take Care Of Your Plants

Pruning your plants encourages regrowth when springtime arrives. In Canada, it gets icy, so watch out for frost heaving. Especially common in new plants, frost heaving occurs when the soil pushes your plants out of the ground. The plant’s fallen leaves can protect its roots from the soil, so when preparing your yard, don’t bother picking them up. 

If you ensure your trees and shrubs are in good shape, they will have an easier time making it through the winter. Ensure there are no damaged or diseased limbs; snow and wind could worsen these. Cover flowers and tree bases with mulch, compost, or dead leaves. If you want any bulbs by springtime, now is the time to plant them.

Check Your Appliances

In Canada, the outdoor cooking season is never long enough. Unfortunately, now is the time to close it up until spring. Your grill should receive the most cleaning at the end of the season. Please give it a lot of attention and maintenance so it is good to go by the time warm weather rolls around. Make an effort to take out the racks and remove any grease with a wired brush. Disconnect the gas line and cover any opening, preventing insects from crawling in. The final step is to cover the grill and roll it into the shed or garage, where it will be waiting for you next season. 

These tasks are not difficult but if left undone, you could find yourself with more work in the spring. It is best to start preparing now, as you never know when the frost will hit. Use this checklist to ensure you didn’t miss a step. Soon enough, the warm weather will be back, and your yard will be fully used again. Lakeshore Landscape provides landscaping and yard services; visit us today to learn how we can help you winterize your yard!