Your winter garden has needs…

November 16, 2015 | By webadmin

Even though winter is on the way, our landscapes here in Texas still need care through the cooler months. It’s one of the benefits (or burdens) of a 12-month gardening season. There is always a plant to plant, soil to feed, lawns to water or mow, trees to prune and beds to clean up. Because our soil doesn’t freeze, plant roots continue growing through winter.

Did you know? Winter is the best time to plant fruit trees in our climate. See...lots to do!

Peach, pear, plum,and other fruit trees can be planted through winter.

Here are are few tips from the pro’s:

Don’t stop watering- but don’t water too much. While we often recommend turning off your automated sprinkler system in winter, so you don’t inadvertently keep watering when you don’t need to, we’ll still have winter dry spells. So you shouldn’t stop watering completely. To avoid lawn fungal diseases such as brown patch and Take-All Root Rot, don’t run your lawn sprinklers if it’s been raining. Once your lawn goes dormant for winter, you can typically go a 2-3 weeks without running your lawn sprinklers, but don’t forget to water trees, shrubs, perennials and potted plants through winter. When you do water, water deeply, but infrequently.

Don’t mow too low. Keeping lawns mowed at the right height is important, even in late-fall and winter. If you mow your lawn too short, you’ll leave it susceptible to cold damage; especially St. Augustinegrass. Once lawns go dormant, you won’t have to mow often, but do keep the weeds mowed so they can’t flower and go to seed. Controlling weeds now is the best way to prevent them from taking over next spring. Use a mulching mower to chop up fallen leaves on the lawn.

If you overseeded your lawn, you’ll need to mow on a weekly basis. Extra clippings can go into the mulch pile.

Mulch garden beds. Mulch gives the garden a tidy look, suppresses weed growth, helps the soil to retain moisture and insulates plant roots. It’s a pretty amazing landscaping tool! More on protecting the winter garden with mulch here.

Brighten it up. Winter days can get a bit dreary, so be sure to add some cheery cool season color to pots and beds. Seasonal color also improves curb appeal, in case you’re putting the house on the market. Ornamental cabbage, pansies, violas and cyclamen are a few winter favorites. Plant tulip and daffodil bulbs for a showy spring welcome.

Tidy up: As leaves fall and perennials die back, your garden will need occasional cleanup through winter. Whether you are a DIYer or you have a service, there are a few key elements to watch out for to keep everything tidy.

• Remove dead or dying plants that could harbor insects and disease.
• Mulch leaves into the lawn to provide added nutrients.
• Cut back perennials to the ground after topgrowth freezes down. Add mulch to protect roots until they re-emerge next spring.
• Have trees pruned to control growth or remove hazard branches and mistletoe.

The holidays are fast approaching. If your landscape needs a spruce-up but you are feeling squeezed for time, give our maintenance crew a call.