winter lawn tips

Winters in southern California may not result in a scenic blanket of snow. Still, it brings colder temperatures and rain that can impact your vegetation negatively if you’re not prepared for it. Many plants may go dormant or die off this season, making it the ideal time to prepare for new growth in the spring.

Today we’ll go over some tips to keep your landscaping looking great during the winter and why it’s essential not to ignore your landscape during this season.

Keep Watering

Winters in southern California bring more precipitation, so you won’t need to water your landscape as often as you would during the summer. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t water at all, though. A good rule of thumb is to wait for two inches of soil to dry out before watering again. This can take two to three days on average, depending on the amount of rain that falls and the quality of your soil.

Failing to water your plants in winter can cause plants to become susceptible to diseases and other issues. During the colder months, it’s best practice to avoid getting the plant’s stems and leaves wet, as this can cause them to rot. 

Trim Trees and Hedges

While many trees lose their leaves during autumn, by winter, many of the branches are completely exposed. This is the ideal time to inspect your trees and hedges for any dead or damaged branches and remove them. Pruning your trees and shrubs during the winter will encourage your plants to grow stronger during the spring.

Prepare and Amend Soil

Winter is an excellent time to do maintenance on your soil. Although only sometimes necessary, it’s a good idea to check if your soil is appropriately retaining water and is healthy. Healthy soil should have diverse microfauna. If this may not be the case, consider amending your soil with organic compost or fertilizers if necessary.

If you notice water pooling in your lawn or garden, you may want to call a professional landscaping company and ask about aerating your lawn. This process creates holes in the soil to alleviate compacted soil to allow for air, water and nutrients to reach the roots of your grass. Doing this in winter allows for nutrients to be more readily available to your grass for the growing season of spring.

Prepare and Repair Drainage System

As we’ve mentioned winter brings with it more rain, it may be easy to forget about your drainage system during the hotter months. If you haven’t already, clean out your gutters. During autumn many leaves fall and can cause gutters to back up and not drain properly. Dirty gutter can become clogged which results in standing water, this can become a breeding pool for pests such as mosquitoes. You should inspect your gutters for leaks as well. Repair any damages done to it not just for your landscape and plants but for your home as well. Leaks to your gutter can lead to water entering the walls and damaging the drywall. It can also cause unwanted erosion to the outside of the home and driveway.

Remove Debris and Rake Leaves

Could you be sure to remove dead leaves and debris from your lawn? It may not seem like much but leaves can cause the grass to suffocate. Riding leaves often allows your property to absorb all the moisture it needs. Dead leaves can house unwanted pests that can damage your lawn. Ideally, you can collect the leaves and compost them yourself; this can keep yard waste down and save money in amending your soil.

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