It is best to landscape in the spring and even summer when the weather is most favorable for growth. However, the harsh winter brings new challenges. Knowing these difficulties will help one have a better overall understanding of what needs to be prepared for over the coming months.
Poor winter landscaping decisions can still affect the exterior of your home after the winter has passed. Avoid making these common wintertime landscaping mistakes that can be costly and have long-term consequences.
Fallas Landscape is here to help you with all of your landscaping needs throughout the year. We’ve been providing high-quality landscaping services in Dallas, Plano, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, and Lucas for years.
Needless to say, we’ve noticed a few trends, so we’ve compiled this list of the most common problems we’ve seen with our customers over the years.
If you’re looking for professional landscaping services for the winter season, get in touch with our team at Fallas Landscape today.
10 Winter Landscaping Challenges
- Grass Smothered by Organic Debris and Leaves: The accumulation of leaves that fall from larger plants during the autumn and winter may completely smother smaller ground plants. By taking care of the problem now, healthy grass can be guaranteed for the spring after.
- Water Sources and Frozen Pipes: Pipes freeze during prolonged periods of below-freezing temperatures, cutting off all sources of water. This could be harmful to plants that require frequent watering. It will be necessary to obtain water from somewhere else.
- Snow: One of the main problems with snow is broken tree branches because of the weight of the snow. However, by simply tying up weak branches, the problem can be completely avoided.
- Young Plants Cannot Be Started: Young seedlings and small, shallow-rooted plants are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures. On the other hand, a large tree has substantial, weather-resistant roots.
- Ice: In comparison to snow, ice is much harder to remove from walkways, aside from frozen pipes. Simple preparation, however, like quick shoveling and salting of walkways, will stop hazardous, slick areas. Because some plants are particularly sensitive to salt, make sure to keep salt away from plants.
- Runoff and Erosion from Mud: Winter storms can wash away unclean sidewalks, walkways, and other landscaping components, including priceless plant soil, depending on the local climate. If the specific landscape has effective flood drainage, it will be much simpler.
- Mold: Mold is typically found in regions with wet winters that do not dip below freezing. Mold can quickly grow in this favorable, moist environment. However, clearing the landscape of all trash, including twigs and leaves, will significantly improve drainage.
- Cement Cracks and Other Porous Materials: In colder climates, cement, brick, and other structures become saturated with water from rain or melting snow during the day. When temperatures drop below freezing at night, the water expands and cracks the cement.
- More Durable Soil: The soil hardens during the winter months because it retains a small amount of moisture. Digging holes for plants or other structures will be especially difficult. Frozen ground can make digging nearly impossible.
- Damage from the wind: Along with the fall of leaves, strong winter storm winds have the potential to break branches and scatter a ton of debris. In more extreme climates, this might happen frequently during the winter, requiring frequent maintenance.
Avoiding Common Landscaping Mistakes This Winter
We want to help you steer clear of the numerous landscaping mistakes that people commit during the winter months. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of common landscaping mistakes to prevent this winter.
- Taking no action: The most common mistake people make during the winter is to sit back and relax. Just because your plants are growing normally in the spring and summer doesn’t mean they don’t require your assistance. If you do nothing for your landscaping this winter, you will have a much more difficult time when spring arrives.You can use the winter months to complete tasks that you may not have had time to complete during the summer. Another great way to make progress during the winter months is to reflect on what worked and what didn’t work for your landscaping throughout the year.
Whatever you choose, make sure you do something for your landscaping this winter.
- Failure to Water Your Plants: It can be difficult to remember all of your landscaping tasks during the winter, especially since you are probably not spending as much time outside.That’s no excuse for making this common winter landscaping mistake. If you forget to water your plants or simply do not provide them with enough water during the winter, you are putting them at risk.
You should plan to keep watering your shrubs, hedges, fruit trees, and other plants throughout the winter so that they can thrive in the spring. Incorrect watering schedules for your plants in the winter can cause dehydration, disease, and even death.
Take care of your plants this winter by watering them thoroughly. This is especially important if you live in an area that doesn’t get much rain during the winter because the air is usually drier during the cold months.
- Using Low-Quality Mulch: The best landscapers are aware that using subpar materials will limit the results of their efforts. Using low-quality mulch is one of the most frequent landscaping errors to avoid this winter.You simply don’t want to take the chance of getting mulch contaminated with pests, fungus, or other elements that could harm your landscaping.
Instead, buy high-quality mulch from Cal Blend Soils to improve the quality of your soil, keep your plants healthy, and promote new growth. The difference between high-quality mulch and low-quality mulch will become apparent over time.
Avoid this winter landscaping mistake by visiting Fallas Landscape for the best landscaping solutions in Texa
The Bottom Line
We hope this article has helped you take the necessary steps toward developing good winter landscaping habits. Remember that the winter is the ideal time to get a head start on the spring.
Contact Fallas Landscape today if you have any questions about winter landscaping or would like to purchase high-quality landscaping products.
