Did you know that outdoor landscape maintenance is just as important as the rest of the year? Actually, in some cases, preparing for the fall and winter are vital for a garden to thrive the next spring. This preparation won’t take long to do either, depending on how big the area is. A day or two of cleaning up your garden equals a spring and summer of gorgeous flowers to enjoy. Following these steps can set that landscape up for success!
- Take Care of the Perennial Weeds Early: These types of weeds are the stubborn ones that will continue to grow up until the fall. They’re gearing up for the winter too, storing necessary nutrients for the next spring. Before the first frost, the best thing to do is to spray them down with weed killer. If you missed the first frost, make sure there is still a good amount of green leaves, or wait for regrowth, before you spray the herbicide.
- Clean Up The Old Stuff: While the annual plants thrived in the spring and summer, unfortunately, they’re not going to last another year. After the first frost, you’ll notice how they will start to wilt and just look shabby. Remove the dying plants, and prepare the area for newer vegetation next year.
- Get Out The Bulbs: The fall is a great time to plant bulbs. During the cold months, the roots will establish themselves in the ground which will help them have healthy growth in the spring and summer. Planting bulbs can either be placed blindly in the ground, for a variety of colors in the spring, or you can plan out how they will look and plant depending on the type of bulb. You’re not going to see the final product until the next bloom.
- Cutting Back A Little: Since the perennials have much more opportunity to grow, they also have to opportunity to take over the area a little bit. You’ll be able to see where the old part of the plants are and the buds for new growth. Cutting and pruning old branches and limbs of your plants will help them thrive with new growth in the coming warmer seasons.
- Get Raking: Raking leaves has two benefits: It allows for family fun where you can get a great big leaf pile to jump in, and it gets your lawn set up for the winter. In fact, letting leaves sit on your garden can be more harmful than good. Removing that layer will allow the snow to melt properly into your lawn and garden to moisten the soil.
Does your landscaping need TLC? Mountain Road Landscaping offers a range of services for your dream outdoor living space in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono area.
