Winterizing Your Landscape

As we prepare for another winter season here in North Texas it’s time to consider the investment in our yard, flower beds and trees – it’s time to winterize our landscape. The revised USDA plant hardiness map puts all of North Texas in Zone 8a with an average minimum temperature of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The following are tips and suggestions to preparing your landscape for winter. Bear in mind that you may need to take extra precautions should we have severe winter storm, hopefully not a repeat of the 2020-2021 winter!

Winter Hardy Potted Plants

Potted plants provide an easy option for adding elegant plants near your doorway, on your porch, or along walkways in your yard. There are a wonderful variety of evergreen shrubs, blueberry bushes, or the Christmas Rose, or hellebore, for a vibrant pop of color! They can be covered or brought in your garage or carport should we have a deep cold snap.

Pruning During Winter

Winter is the perfect time to prune many plants. The late dormant season is best across many regions, be sure to check with a local specialist for any specific plants. Pruning in late winter, before spring buds begin, leaves fresh wounds exposed for only a short amount of time before new growth begins.

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Keep New Tree Trunks Covered

Cover new tree trunks with paper in the fall before the first freeze. Keep this paper on until spring to protect your trees from UV damage during the winter months when your trees do not have protective leaves.

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Control Erosion & Water Loss With Mulching. 

Apply mulch around trees, plants, and shrubs to add extra protection and insulation for winter. Introducing a 2-inch layer of mulch will reduce water loss and help maintain uniform soil temperature around the roots. Try not to add too much mulch around trees as you don’t want to smother their roots structures.

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