How to Get Your Yard Ready for Winter

Winterize your lawn and garden for the harsh winter months.

Fall is a good time to get your home ready for harsh winter weather and your yard is no exception.

Follow these tips for preparing your lawn, garden and outdoor entertainment areas for winter to ensure your yard survives the cold and looks beautiful in the spring.

Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

Even though grass lays dormant over the winter, and almost always comes back in the spring, taking a few steps during the fall to get your lawn ready for winter can help it stay healthy and bounce back faster after the ground thaws.

Before the snow starts sticking on the ground, make sure you rake the leaves and any other debris off your lawn. If left on the grass, rotting leaves can smother the roots under a layer of snow. After clearing your lawn, spike holes in the grass with a special aerator or with a pitchfork to improve airflow to the roots. You should fill the holes with horticultural grade sand to prevent the spaces from closing when the ground gets hard.

After your law gets cleaned and aerated, fertilize it one final time before the grass turns brown. This end-of-the-season boost helps the roots stay strong and helps the grass come back sooner and greener the following spring.

Prepare Your Garden for Winter

Preparing flowerbeds, trees and vegetable gardens for winter is a fun and engaging task for gardeners. Taking care of your garden as fall comes to a close helps ease the work needed in the garden during the spring, while helping ensure the health of your plants during the cold months.

Not all plants can survive a hard freeze during the winter. If you live in an area where the ground freezes more than a few times a winter, you should dig up delicate summer bulbs like gladiolas and dahlias and store them in a cool, dry place. As your annual flowers die off due to frost, pull them up and compost them to prevent rot. You can also plant cold-tolerant annuals and vegetables like pansies and flowering kale.

To help protect hardy bulbs, trees, shrubs, roses and perennials, cover their roots with a generous helping of compost and cover their branches during particularly cold spells. Be sure to prune any plants that can survive the winter and harvest any edible fruits or vegetables before the frost damages them.

Prepare Your Outdoor Furniture and Patio for Winter

If you do not want to buy new outdoor furniture, you should prepare it for winter. If live in an area where the winters bring plenty of snow, you are going to have to clean and store your patio furniture. Although, if really love sitting outside, even in the winter, and you have a covered patio, where snow cannot get to, you might be able to leave it out.

If you plan on leaving your furniture out, clean it before and during the winter months to prevent rust and rot. Clean metal furniture with a wire brush and apply the appropriate shades of paint as needed. Seal wood and wash any cushions. If you have a patio or deck, you should also clear the space of debris, inspect the area for anything that needs repairs and seal the surface with a water-repelling sealant.

You can also leave out bird food and water to get any non-migrating birds into your yard for some color in the winter.

These simple tips for preparing your yard for winter will help keep your lawn and garden healthy during dormant months and keep your patio and outdoor furniture in tip-top shape for warmer months. Come spring, your hard work will pay off with lush grass, beautiful flowers and an outdoor entertainment area ready for their first garden party of the year.