How to Prep Your Backyard for Winter

Autumn leaves with water droplets on them in preparation for winter.

Winter is coming! You need to prepare your backyard for the incoming ice, snow and frigid temperatures. Where can you start?

Put Your Items into Storage

You shouldn’t leave your patio furniture, your grill, your gardening tools and your bicycles outside to weather the elements in the winter. You’ll need to move them into storage to keep them in top condition for the spring.

What if you don’t have enough storage space for these items? You don’t have a big garden shed or a garage to move your seasonal items into. In this case, you should consider adding a storage shipping container to your backyard. Shipping containers are incredibly spacious. You can fit all of your patio furniture, your bicycles, lawncare items and more inside of one without running out of room.

A storage shipping container will be more convenient than stuffing your seasonal items into a rental unit at a storage facility. You can keep your shipping container right in your yard! You won’t have to travel far to access your items once the snow thaws.

Trim Branches

Trimming branches that are diseased, broken or overgrown will keep your trees and shrubs in good shape throughout the winter and encourage new growth come springtime. When it comes to larger trees, trimming weak branches should prevent damage during winter storms. If the branches are too big or high to trim on your own, hire an arborist to do it for you.

Bring Plants Indoors

Do you have plants that aren’t winter-hardy? Like pots of ferns, geraniums or kitchen herbs? Then, you should transfer them indoors to keep them out of the chill. Rest them in rooms where they can access plenty of sunlight.

Related:
10 Early Season Gardening Plants and Flowers

Before you carry the plants indoors, check them for pests and plant diseases that could spread to your other houseplants. If they’re infested or infected, don’t bring them in for the winter.

Wrap Evergreens

Do you have young evergreens in your yard? Before the temperatures plummet, you should wrap them in layers of burlap. This should protect them from the cold.

Plant for Spring

Fall is the prime time to plant bulbs for the spring. The soil is still soft and workable, making it easy to bury the bulbs. If you leave your planting for the winter or early spring, the ground will be too tough to work.

Rake Your Lawn

Piles of colorful leaves look pretty on your lawn, but you shouldn’t leave them there for too long. If those leaves get wet, they can rot. They can also make excellent nesting grounds for all sorts of pests, from insects to rodents.

So, try to regularly rake the leaves sitting on your lawn and over your walkways. You don’t have to throw them away. You can use them to make mulch for your garden.

Make Mulch

Make mulch out of raked-up leaves and grass clippings and sprinkle it on top of your garden after planting spring bulbs.

Mulch provides plenty of nutrients for your plants and encourages essential worms and microorganisms to penetrate the soil. It can also insulate the soil, creating a protective barrier above plant roots below the surface. This should keep the roots safer from the winter chill, helping them grow once spring finally arrives.

Related:
Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide

Prep your backyard for winter right now. Don’t wait until the snow starts falling!

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