Prepare Your Lawn & Garden for Winter

Winter may be fast approaching, but that doesn’t mean lawn and garden care is over. There are plenty of things you can do now to prepare your plants and outdoor furniture for winter. From winter planting to deck protection, here are a few worthwhile tasks to keep you busy during late fall and help make for a successful spring.

Your local True Value hardware store has the expert advice and the tools you need to winterize your outdoor space. These steps will help you get started.

Step 1. Keep Caring for Flowers and Plants Until Winter 
Stop deadheading blooms at the end of the season to encourage your flowers' seed production. When you collect seeds, keep them in an envelope for planting in spring. Prune any dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs. Water your trees and shrubs deeply one last time before winter, paying special attention to any newly planted foliage. And don't forget to bring your potted plants inside when overnight temperatures dip below 50ºF. Spray potted plants with a garden hose to clean off dirt and wash away pests before you bring them in.

Step 2. Aerate
Aerating your lawn now will give you healthy grass next spring. Aerating allows for greater movement of water, fertilizer and air, increases the speed of decomposition of mulch and encourages deep root growth, so be sure to aerate before applying fertilizer. You can aerate your lawn with a hand cultivator or a mechanical aerator, available for rent at most True Value stores with Just Ask Rental departments.

Step 3. Fertilize Your Lawn Before the First Frost
It's important to fertilize before winter comes, and the experts at True Value can help you find the right fertilizer for your area. Load your spreader over the sidewalk or driveway to prevent spills that can damage your grass and apply the fertilizer evenly over the entire lawn. But take care not to fertilize roses. This discourages winter growth and makes your roses more vulnerable to extreme temperatures and conditions.

Step 4. Plant for Spring
For the best springtime results, you should start planting bulbs now. Many common bulbs can be planted in fall, including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Tubers such as daylilies and dahlias are also popular choices for the fall planting season. As you work with bulbs and tubers, squeeze them to find the healthiest ones. A good bulb or tuber will feel firm to the touch. Throw away any spongy ones. Use a blanket of compost or mulch several inches thick to cover your newly planted bulbs during the winter months. Fall is also the best time to plant cool-season grasses. Varieties such as perennial rye, bluegrass and fescue do well this time of year for filling bare spots. Overseed bare areas to allow seeds to germinate.

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Step 5. Rake Leaves and Keep Mowing 
As leaves collect on your lawn, rake them to keep your grass healthy. Consider shredding the leaves and spreading them on the lawn as compost. Keep mowing your lawn right up until the first frost, but keep it longer than 2-1/2 inches. When you mow for the last time, use a mulching mower. The mulch will keep as much nitrogen as possible in the soil over the winter and into the spring. Don't forget to check your lawn for weeds. Use a dandelion digger to pop them out of the soil, and they won't return in the spring.

Step 6. Prepare Your Deck 
As you winterize your lawn and garden, don't neglect your deck. Wintry conditions can be hard on a deck's surface, but it's easy to protect yours from the elements. Use a broom to sweep away leaves, needles and other debris from your deck and between the boards. You can remove mildew with a solution of 3 quarts water, 1 quart oxygen bleach and ¼-cup ammonia-free liquid dishwasher detergent. Add this solution to a garden sprayer and apply liberally to the deck's surface. Let the mixture set for about 10-15 minutes. Remove planters or place 2 x 2 boards beneath their base to prevent staining and discoloring your deck. For snow removal, use a plastic shovel, not a metal one. Shovel lengthwise rather than across the boards to decrease the chances of scratching.

Step 7. Care for Tools
Even if you don't plan on using your tools during the winter, it's important to take care of them now. At the end of the season, drain the water from garden hoses, coil and store them away from freezing temperatures. Empty the gas from your lawn mower's tank. Clean garden tools and wipe them with a rag doused in motor oil to prevent rust. If you have sprinklers, drain them and shut off the water from valves inside your home to prevent pipes from freezing. Thoroughly clean your blades and metal tools using a tough solvent, such as kerosene. Sharpen tools with a hand file by repeatedly filing the sharpest edge lightly back and forth.

Step 8. Convert Birdbaths into Feeders
An empty or frozen-over birdbath sitting in your yard during the winter doesn't do much for the birds. To keep it functional, empty the water, clean it well and fill the basin with birdseed, colorful Indian corn and red pepper berries. This will give you a colorful outdoor centerpiece and attract wildlife to your yard.

Congratulations! You now have a lawn and garden that can handle what winter has in store. Don't forget to winterize your home's interior, too. Head to your local True Value hardware store anytime you need the right advice for your home this winter.

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