How to Keep Your Landscaping Beautiful and Healthy Through the Winter

Your landscaping should be tended year-round – yes, even when winter rolls around! Your landscaping is an investment that requires maintenance so that year after year, you can enjoy the value and beauty that it brings to your property.

Before it gets too cold outside, and the snow begins to fall, there’s one more thing to do: applying mulch to your shrubs and ornamental trees.

How Mulch Benefits Your Shrubs and Ornamental Trees
Mulch is a year-round part of smart landscaping. In the summer, mulch retains moisture and keeps plants cool. In the winter, mulch ensures that your roots are protected from the cold. Without the proper amount of mulch, the constant cold can affect your shrub’s roots. Additionally, in the late winter, the weather will warm up for several days and then temperatures will fall again. With this freeze-thaw cycle, roots can be damaged, and then your plantings will not be able to take in water and nutrients. Shrubs and ornamental trees are an investment, and your money may be wasted if you don’t mulch properly.

When Should You Mulch?
The last mulching of the year should be applied in the late fall, between October and December. We suggest that homeowners in the Pittsburgh area use hardwood mulch since it will stop the soil at the base of your shrubs and ornamental trees from eroding during the winter. It will also keep the area moist in the summer, so there’s a dual benefit. Mulch doesn’t need to be piled on – no more than a three-inch layer is required to protect the roots. Too much material can lead to root problems and gives an opportunity for destructive insects to settle in.

Superior Lawn Care is here to provide you with superior service for all of your lawn care needs. Call us today – it’s not too late! We serve southwestern PA, including Penn Township, Cranberry, Upper St. Clair, Indiana, Moon Township, North Huntingdon, Peters Township, Belle Vernon, Murrysville, and North Huntingdon.