Winter yard care checklist: Preparing your garden now for a happy spring
Winter has arrived and to properly care for your yard or garden, we suggest the following tips:
- Disconnect garden hoses and winterize outside hose bibs that are exposed.
- Turn off and drain irrigation systems to avoid freezing.
- Trim dead or broken branches from shrubs and trees.
- Rake or blow leaves off lawns.
- Moss treatment in lawns, planter beds and anywhere the moss is not wanted. Product is usually applied when moss is saturated and always use products according to label instructions.
- Remove any invasive plants such as ivy or Himalayan Blackberry.
- Prepare plant/tree list and plant them when ground is not frozen. Remember to water them in well.
- Use pre-emergent herbicides, place landscape fabric or cardboard down to keep weeds away in the spring. Follow instructions on label and wear proper safety gear for any herbicides.
- Mulching to insulate bulbs, shrubs and trees through cold temperatures. Add mulch, compost, leaves, or wood chips 2-4 inches thick and avoid piling mulch right next to trunk of trees or base of plant.
This story has been brought to you by the City of Beaverton’s Landscape and Urban Forestry Department.
