Prepare before a cold forecast
As the temperatures drop and winter approaches, it’s time to get your landscaping and garden ready for colder months ahead. Read on to discover Lawn & Landcare’s essential tips for keeping your property in good shape during frosty days.
List tender plants, recent installations and containers needing attention. A brief frost and a prolonged windy freeze differ. Hardiness, exposure and duration matter as much as the forecast low.
Watch the forecast
Monitor weather reports during the fall, so you know when you need to take action and protect tender plants from harmful frost damage.
Gather covers before cold arrives. Check wind and duration of freezing conditions, and identify shelter for movable plants.
Use covers thoughtfully
Use plant frost cloth or suitable fabric over sensitive plants, supported to avoid crushing foliage. Extend it toward the ground rather than tying it tightly around a trunk. Follow instructions for removal or ventilation when temperatures rise. Covers offer limited protection in severe freezes.
Check mulch
Organic mulch can help moderate soil temperature and moisture in appropriate beds. Keep it away from trunks and crowns. Check the existing layer before adding more; a deep pile against a stem creates a new problem.
Clean beds selectively
Remove litter obstructing drains or smothering turf. Do not cut every perennial or shrub on one date. Plant type, disease condition and remaining foliage affect cleanup choices. Wait for freeze injury to become clear before routine pruning.
Water according to moisture
Cold weather usually reduces demand. Check soil around sensitive plants before a freeze; water only if needed and permitted, allowing infiltration before freezing conditions. Do not run lawn sprinklers during freezing weather or coat plants in ice for protection.
Protect containers and exposed shrubs
Move tender pots to suitable shelter when possible. Containers expose roots to more cold than the ground. Choose shrub protection by species and forecast rather than assuming burlap prevents ice damage.
Arrange seasonal help
A preparation visit can address agreed leaf removal, bed care, mulch or trimming. Lawn & Landcare can help identify practical maintenance work. Protection measures cannot assure survival in extreme cold.
