Preparing Your Landscape for the Cold Season

As the cool autumn air settles over Bruce County, it’s the signal to start preparing your yard for winter. Fall garden care is all about protecting your plants, soil, and outdoor spaces so they’re ready to shine again in spring. With a few simple steps, you can keep your yard healthy, resilient, and looking good all year long.

1. Clean Up Garden Beds

Clear out dead plants, weeds, and garden debris to cut down on pests and diseases. Don’t clear everything, though. Plants like coneflowers with seed heads are a natural food source for birds. A tidier bed also makes mulching and bulb planting way easier.

2. Mulching Matters

Think of mulch as a warm blanket for your garden. Add 2–3 inches around perennials, trees, and shrubs. It helps keep roots insulated, locks in moisture, and even prevents frost from pushing plants out of the ground. It also keeps weeds under control.

3. Lawn Prep

Give your grass a strong start for next year. Aerate compacted soil so roots can breathe, reseed bare patches, and feed with a fall fertilizer rich in potassium. Keep mowing until it stops growing, but don’t scalp it—leave it about 2.5–3 inches tall.

4. Prune with Care

Stick to light pruning. Remove dead, diseased, or broken branches, but skip the heavy cuts. Big pruning jobs encourage new growth that won’t survive the frost. A little trim keeps plants healthy and safe for winter.

5. Water Before Frost

Give your plants a deep watering before the ground freezes. Well-hydrated roots handle cold better, especially evergreens that still lose moisture in winter. A good soak now helps them go into dormancy strong.

6. Tools & Furniture

Your outdoor tools and furniture need attention too. Clean and sharpen tools before storing them to prevent rust and damage, drain and coil hoses to avoid cracking, and cover or store patio furniture to extend its life.

7. Boost the Compost

Fall is the perfect time to build up your compost pile. Add shredded leaves, grass clippings, and plant waste to create nutrient-rich compost for next year. Shredded material decomposes faster, giving you rich compost for planting season.

8. Plant Spring Bulbs

Want a colorful welcome after winter? Plant bulbs like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses now. Plant them at a depth about two to three times deeper than their size, and come spring, you’ll have a burst of color as soon as the snow clears.

And-Rod Landscaping & Gardens Has You Covered!