Preparation for a healthy lawn and garden during the spring season requires preparation for this during the winter months. Winter gardening can be intimidating for new and inexperienced gardeners. However, with care, your garden and lawn can build strength for spring—sprouting green and growing with abundance when temperatures rise again. Here’s a quick, essential guide to start preparing your lawn and garden for spring during winter.

Preparing Your Lawn and Garden for Spring During Winter

Winter Pruning and Lawn Care 101

Winter pruning is essential for lawn and garden care. However, winter pruning also leads to some of the most common mistakes.

Never prune down to the stems during winter, and always focus on trimming away the ends of dead growth on plants and trees. This focuses energy on important growth points for spring without wasting any potential stored energy in winter.

This is the perfect time to cut away dead growth. Trees and plants will thrive during the next growing season by doing this! Over-pruning before the cold winter can shock plants and trees, hampering their future growth.

You should also mow your cool-season grass at a height of about two inches before the ground freezes.

Good Reason to Tidy Up in Winter

Trees naturally shed their leaves to the ground, preparing for winter. Gardeners commonly assume that this makes for good compost. While this is partially correct, it doesn’t mean this saves the effort of collecting the fallen leaves.

Never leave discarded leaves on the lawn or directly under trees instead of turning them into practical compost. To use leaves as practical compost, rake leaves and collect them away from the lawn and trees. Mix them into mulch within the proper proportions to create compost piles.

You can compost directly in your existing garden beds. A layer of compost in your garden will revitalize and combat compacted soil. This prepares it for when it’s time to start planting in early spring.

Watering During Winter: Prepare Your Garden For The Spring

A common beginner’s mistake is to cease watering during winter. Preparing your lawn and garden for spring means you should water gardens in moderation in winter. Don’t stop the watering schedule; adjust it to make room for winter rain.

Lawns and trees might be dormant during winter, but this doesn’t mean they stop being alive! Don’t forget to protect young trees before winter with tree wrap and a layer of mulch around the base to protect young roots.

Basic requirements such as water, sunlight, and nutrients are still valid.

Maintaining Your Sprinkler System in Winter: Preparing Your Lawn and Garden For Next Season

Maintaining your sprinkler system during winter can be key to a better season. Sprinkler systems can freeze in winter months and might cost more than they’re worth in wasted valves or temperature-related damage.

Always check the sprinkler system and make adjustments as needed. Be sure to winterize your irrigation system before the first freeze. Sprinkler systems should be maintained well during winter and cleaned out just before the spring arrives.

Simple insulation can stop your sprinkler system or its pipes from freezing.

Don’t Salt the Soil

Salt is well-established for its ice-melting qualities. However, this shouldn’t encourage gardeners to use salt to de-ice their lawns. Salt can imbalance the soil’s nutrients and might even be harsh enough to wreak havoc on your lawn.

Never salt your soil or lawn directly.

While it’s acceptable for the driveway, it could be heavily detrimental to your plants and lawn.

If you have already done this, mix in regular soil and monitor the results.

Easy on the Fertilizer

Many gardeners over-fertilize the garden approaching spring. This can have potentially disastrous results that could burn your plants and lawn to their roots. No gardener would voluntarily harm their plants. However, many accidentally do this by incorrectly following the instructions (or the mixture).

Even experienced gardeners double-check the instructions for the specific brand and never assume they know.

Soil Monitoring Up To Spring

Winter is an excellent time for observation and a great time to plan. Gardens experience little activity during winter, but you can use the colder months to prepare the landscape and its plants.

This means that gardeners should ideally monitor their soil conditions right up to the change. Winter isn’t the best time for drastic planting changes. However, it’s the best time for planning what to do next—or slowly adjusting conditions until the spring comes.

Monitor the soil pH more regularly during winter. Adjustments can be made as soon as the season is ready to change.

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