During the winter, people are often busy with the holidays and aren’t thinking about their landscape. While the winter isn’t the best time for all plantings, there are several actions that can be taken to help your garden thrive in the spring and summer months.
If you REALLY want to get your hands dirty and do some planting, winter is a great time to install trees. Winter plantings allow roots to become established while the tree is still dormant before spring blooms.
Hold off on planting tender perennials such as lantanas, salvias or yellow bells until the spring; however, you are not restricted from working in your yard during the winter.
Many people think you cannot lay sod in the winter, but winter is actually a good time to install grass. Their roots still grow, the cooler weather prevents shock and the extra rainfall helps establish the lawn.
Is there a dead patch of grass that you’ve tried several times to replace? Create a bed using native perennials for this environment. Prep the flower bed during the winter by removing grass, tilling, adding compost and mulch. Getting the beds ready for spring and planting will be a snap!
Snap you say? Snapdragons and pansies are great cool weather annuals along with ornamental cabbage and kale. Watch for deer and rabbits as they love to nibble on pansies.
Winter is a great time to cut back perennials and grasses. Ornamental trees such as crape myrtles can be pruned in late winter. In central Texas, live oaks can be trimmed from July through January. All limbs over 1” should be sealed with a tree pruning paint.
Lastly, apply a 3” layer of hardwood mulch and slow release fertilizer in the beds.
With these helpful tips, your landscape and garden will look great all year. Maven Landscaping can help with these winter projects. Give us a call to discuss your landscape needs!
