Its dull, gloomy and Spring is still 74 days away. However for those who are a little stir crazy, the winter months are a great time for landscape maintenance. With deciduous trees bare this time of year, it makes for a great time to evaluate branch structure and be able to better view the layout of your garden. Here is a list of recommended garden maintenance for the winter months.
Clean- up: Now is a great time to clean up the missed fall debris. Old leaves can shelter pests and diseases so it is a good practice to tidy up the garden before the spring season. It is also more ascetically pleasing to have garden beds with a fresh thin layer of mulch rather than a layer of leaves. Mulch has many benefits to the garden one of which is insulating tender plants and perennials from deep freezes.
Trimming: As previously stated, not only is it easier to evaluate the branch structure on deciduous trees, but trimming this time of year is also much less messy as all the leaves have already fallen off. Shaping as well as thinning are good trimming practices to help with plant health and keeping the plants at a desired size.
Planning: It is always better to get an early season start on making changes to your garden. Whether it be a plant that didn’t properly perform or lack of vibrant summer color, there are always additions that can be made to spruce things up. Annuals planted in early may will give great color during the summer months. For early spring color, bulbs planted last fall will provide a great display. It is too late for bulbs with the ground frozen, but pansies planted in mid to late march will surely brighten up the yard. If you are looking for a more extensive project, be sure to reach out to Wiesner Bros. Nursery for expertise and assistance. Whether it is a single tree or a landscape design of the entire property, we are more than happy to help.