Everything You Need to Know About Winter Landscape Preparation

“Can my landscape survive winter?” We’re sure this is something you’ve wondered. Do not fear, per usual, the GPL Team is here to help your landscape thrive this season through offering some of our professional advice. Spoiler alert: YES, your landscape CAN survive winter. Let’s get started —

make a personal maintenance plan

This seems very simple, but we promise it will reduce some stress when thinking about having to actually fulfill all of these maintenance tasks. Additionally, you can be doing some preventative work for some plants who are already not doing too well. We encourage you to to a couple of landscape checks per week to keep an eye out for any abnormalities. This will allow you to manage your landscape with ease and efficiency and will also help aid those plants that need the extra support and love this winter. Of course, GPL is always here to help!

add mulch

Mulch is your winter guard dog. It helps protect plants from freezing temperatures. For example, we all know temperature fluctuates, which means that plants can freeze then thaw out over and over, ultimately resulting in the heaving of your plant. To fight this stressful cycle, we’d recommend putting down about three inches of mulch around the base of the plant.

give your plants insulation

You’ve probably never heard this before. Well, that’s because it’s not really a blanket, but rather a cover to protect from winter weather. If you have a newly installed tree, you’ll want to either cover it or add some mulch to give it extra support during its first winter. The kinds of covers that are used are important because you still have to make sure your plant/tree can breathe properly. We would recommend using materials such as burlap since it is effective, yet light, airy, and breathable.

know your zone

Knowing what plants thrive in your zone is key. It is so tempting to add in something from a zone that functions differently, but we want to save you a headache and heartache. Learn more about your zone and stick to what works. Fo reference, the Bay Area is Zone 9b. If you are a reader from a different area, here is a good resource to find your growing zone from the USDA Planting Zone Map.

change your watering routine

You won’t want to stop watering altogether (though this is the tempting thing to do during the winter time). Instead, you’ll want to alter your existing watering routine. Water less often and do some research for specific plants if you feel uncertain. Just because a plant is dormant, doesn’t mean it doesn’t need water! Plants need water year round to stay alive.

Prune if you need to

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again! Pruning is not a bad thing. Pruning can promote health for your plants and overall landscape. Of course, you don’t have to prune unnecessarily, but as you inspect your plant, you will notice dead foliage that can be removed to make space for new growth. However, do be careful as you prune. You don’t want to prune a plant you’re expecting to flower in the spring. Rule of thumb is to simply remove any dead and falling leaves.