As we head toward winter, you’re probably starting to notice changes in the yard. Some trees are losing leaves, the grass stops growing as quickly as it did over the summer, and vegetable plants that thrived in the summer garden are starting to die after harvest.
Some yard work slows down in late fall, but there are still some tasks to do. Here are five tips to help keep your yard and garden healthy and looking good as we head into winter.
1) Clean Up Outside
One of the best things you can do to get your yard and garden ready for winter is to clean things up. Leaving dead leaves from trees or from plants that went dormant can shade grass and trap moisture. Shredder vacs and blowers are great tools for this. If you’re going to plant a garden during the winter or next spring, now is a good time to till up garden beds and get the soil ready.
2) Start Planting!
Winter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area can get cold and there’s a chance of ice storms, but overall, the winters are relatively mild. There are quite a few cool weather-loving plants that you can grow over winter that would die out during our harsh summers. Try growing radishes, carrots, spinach, and other leafy greens in the vegetable garden. For winter color, plant some cool-weather flowers like pansies, violas, alyssum, and primrose.
3) Wrap Up Lawn Work
Warm-season grasses go dormant in the winter. As the weather cools, you’ll want to back off on mowing. Prep the mower for storage by cleaning it and either draining the gasoline or filling the tank with gasoline that has a fuel stabilizer added. Apply a layer of compost over the lawn as the final fertilizer application of the year.
4) Take Steps Against Weeds
Since Texas winters are relatively mild, you’ll still have weeds to deal with over the winter. In the lawn, grass isn’t actively growing so it doesn’t do as good a job at out-competing weeds as it does during the warmer months of the year. You can prevent annual winter weeds by applying a pre-emergent herbicide that will keep seeds from sprouting.
5) Hire a Professional
For some late autumn and winter yard care tasks, it’s best to hire a professional. For example, winter is the best time for arborists to work on many types of trees. If you need to have a tree trimmed or removed, now is a great time to reach out to an arborist.
Need Any Tools?
While you’re wrapping up lawn care for the season, you might find that it’s time to replace some of your old tools. Late fall and winter can be a good time for that. Some tools, like a tiller or blower, will be useful still this fall. You can use others, like a chainsaw for firewood, all winter.
For spring and summer tools like trimmers and mowers, fall can still be a good time to buy them because you’ll beat the spring rush and might find some good Black Friday or end-of-season discounts. Visit our online shop or stop by in person to browse our wide selection of high-quality yard and garden equipment.
