Simple Winter Tips: Lawn Maintenance

The coldest spell of the year usually comes in January and February in most places as that time is officially upon us. This is a time when we worry about a number of things, including the care and maintenance of the lawn. Of course, in the Vegas area temperatures rarely drop as low as some other places, but the recent string of temperatures in the 30’s can have some property owners worrying about their landscapes. Luckily, a few simple tips can save a lawn from being hindered as the cold season dips into its lowest temperatures.

Of course, landscaping during the winter largely depends whether you have a traditional landscape or desert style landscape. For those who must mow and fertilize regularly, it’s important to take down the mower height in an effort to help ensure new growth. For next year, you will want to get some fertilization in the early fall to improve color, quality and growth as well.

Protecting plants often becomes a major issue during the cold weather months. Whether you have plants outside of your Las Vegas apartments or have a fully grown garden, they may need some extra upkeep during the colder months. The temperature in the area should allow for some plants to be grown during this time, but it’s important to keep soil that is both greatly enriched and extremely well drained. One great tip is to use mulch to help conserve water by placing it around your plants, cutting down the need to water over and over.

One final aspect of important upkeep during the colder months is to protect the hoses and pipes around your home. It’s important with the routine Las Vegas weather this time of year that you keep all pipes from dripping fluids.

Some other tips for protecting pipes and hoses during the cold months include wrapping insulation and pipes with socks or towels which serves to insulate them. In the extreme case that a pipe or hose is damaged by cold weather, it’s always important to know where the shut off valve is located, that way you can be as prepared as possible.

Although the Las Vegas area may not seem like a place where cold weather protection for a landscape will be important, it is always smart to be prepared. Average weather in late 2011 and early 2012 has been dipping into the 30’s overnight, thus being prepared for this weather could be key in the next few months.