Time to Tell Your Clients to Winterize Their Landscape

Professional landscapers are frequently as busy in the autumn as they are in the spring and summer. Home and business owners who wish to have great looking surroundings throughout the year must be made aware that proper care and treatment do not end when the leaves begin to fall. There is still much to do to ensure that plants and trees stay healthy through the winter and emerge in full brilliance when spring sets in.

What is Involved in Winterizing a Landscape?

Much as people begin to winterize their homes when colder weather sets in, landscapers and gardeners must prepare their plantings, trees, and shrubs for the coming winter.

Before the first freezing period, landscapers should apply moisture by watering a final time. Also, a moisture retention additive will keep the soils below from completely drying out. Surface water should be gone by the time the first hard freeze sets in.

Irrigation systems should be completely blown out to keep them from freezing over the winter in order to prevent damage to the irrigation lines.

Additional suggestions for winter preparation:
  • Forget about fertilizing at this time. The fertilizer may begin to generate new growth in some plants which will instantly die when a hard freeze arrives.
  • Amend the soil around plantings and trees with compost and other organic material to add nutrition for the coming year.
  • Prune dead branches and suckers and clear around the base of trees.
  • Mulching up to six inches in depth insulates the areas around the base of plants and trees. Mulching should keep the plants from freezing during the coldest periods.
  • In windy areas, windbreaks and barriers can deflect damage from high wind and drifting snow.
  • Many landscapers add anti-desiccants to their trees and shrubs to hold moisture throughout the winter.

ProLine™ State-of-the-Art Tree Handling Equipment
During their decades-long experience in the tree nursery and landscaping industry, the professionals at Heritage Oak Farm developed time and money-saving devices in their ProLine series for handling large volumes of bulky trees and shrubbery.

One notably important device designed for nurseries and tree farms is the ProLine POT FORKS™ accessory. Like other ProLine devices, the equipment attaches easily to any late model skid steer. The POT FORKS accessory can transport several one-gallon to fifteen-gallon pots at once with the adjustable forks.

For more information regarding Heritage Oak Farm’s ProLine range of expert nursery equipment, call the experts at +1-888-288-5308.







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming a New Japanese Blueberry Tree: The Rising Sun

Image
TreeTown USA has officially recognized a new variety of Japanese Blueberry tree to be officially known as “Morning Sun” PP#29,266. This variety can reach up to 40-feet in height casting luxurious shade. Or, if the owner chooses to keep it smaller, the tree can become a trimmed and shaped accent plant. The foliage is a vivid red-orange shade in the fall that instantly draws attention and adds emphasis to certain areas of the landscape. This cultivar, officially known as “Elaeocarpus decipiens,” is a fast-growing addition with dense foliage. A hearty tree when established, the “Morning Sun” thrives in full sun or partial shade and survives best in well-drained soil. The tree is hardy in Zones 8-10 and prefers well-drained soil. The fruit of the Japanese Blueberry is ornamental, not considered edible for humans. Birds do consume the berries in the winter, however. Attributes of the Japanese Blueberry Tree The Japanese Blueberry root system does not grow deep into the ground but prefers...
Read more

How Landscape Designers Add Real Value

Image
As you drive through certain neighborhoods, some landscapes capture your attention immediately. Most eye-catching surroundings are not that way by accident. Those attractive lawns and gardens are likely the work of a gifted professional landscape designer who worked with the contours and planting areas to create the most appealing settings for plants, trees, lawns, hardscapes, and other decorative features. Homeowners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars over time to improve the appearance and functionality of the exterior facade of their homes while balking at paying extra to enhance the presence of their landscapes. An elegant and inviting lawn can do as much for the curb appeal and value of the home as any other exterior upgrade. Why Hiring a Professional Landscape Designer Adds Value An experienced landscape designer has acquired knowledge and experience of identifying what works in any setting, soil type and climate, creating and maintaining a kaleidoscope of col...
Read more

Common Midwest Oak Tree Diseases: Botryosphaeria Twig Canker

Image
Do my trees have Botryosphaeria twig canker? Botryosphaeria twig canker is a disease that affects red and white oaks. Properly caring for your trees, keeping landscaping tools and equipment clean, and watching out for signs of lesions on leaves can help you avoid this common oak tree disease. What Causes Botryosphaeria Twig Canker? A fungus is the cause of Botryosphaeria twig canker. As its name suggests, the specific fungus identified for this disease is Botryosphaeria spp. Symptoms of this disease typically present in the mid-summer, after periods of heavy spring rainfall, and dead branch tips may remain visible through the fall.     Signs of Botryosphaeria Twig Canker When the fungus attacks a tree, it causes brown, wilted leaves on the tips of tree branches, extending 4-6 inches in from branch tips. Upon closer inspection, you will see brownish-black elongated lesions (cankers) on affected limbs. Within the lesions, black, pimple-like fruiting struct...
Read more