Let Edward’s Lawn & Home take care of your December landscaping projects!
December is already here, and in Maryland, that mainly means that the landscape has gone dormant. Even so, there are still a few ways to care for the landscape during this time, and if you haven’t gotten around to some items on your landscaping to-do list, December is still a great time for those things. Check out these landscape tips for this month below.
Rake the Leaves
Maryland’s autumn leaves are all gone by December, but even though they’re off the trees, that doesn’t mean they’re off your lawn necessarily. Don’t forget to take care of bagging or composting those autumn leaves lest they foster growth for pests or mold.
Put Down Mulch
While leaves can eventually become a fantastic mulch, you’ll want to use actual mulch to protect your garden beds. While fall is a great time to plant spring bulbs, the winter is the best time to put down mulch over them. Once the first frost hits, you can insulate the ground at freezing point. This way, the bulbs won’t be too warm or too cold.
Sod the Lawn
Grass is dormant in the winter, but as long as no snow is on the ground, you can feel free to take care of those bald patches in the lawn. Dormant grass might not look pretty, but over the winter their roots will deepen and grow stronger and come out healthier come spring. You can also apply a pre-emergent herbicide in winter, which will kill weed seeds before they germinate.
Prune Hedges
Shrubs and hedges also become dormant in December. Many gardeners make the mistake of cutting off the new growths on the bushes, but that only encourages them to grow more aggressively. Wait until they go completely dormant before giving them a hard prune, or cut all the way back to the original stem when cutting.
Protect and Prune Trees
Some trees will need a little TLC to brave the windy, snowy months. Young trees with thin barks will need commercial tree wrapping to insulate them for up to two to five years. Meanwhile, some evergreens with tender internal branches may need to be bound together with wire or fabric. Should you have trees that need pruning, now is a great time to take care of those to prevent falling branches.
Christmas Decor
As an aside, you can always take the time to clip some sprigs of evergreen on your property and use them in Christmas decorations. Boughs of holly, juniper, pine, and more can make for beautiful and great-smelling decor.
Choose Edwards Lawn & Home
For the past thirteen years, Edwards Lawn and Home has been offering premier residential and commercial services to improve your property all year long. The options are endless from a new patio to a backyard fire pit, let the winners of Angie’s List Super Service Aware serve you! If you’re interested in finding out more about our services or getting a quote, you can contact us online or give us a call at 443-341-6539. For more information about our services or DIY tips and tricks follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Houzz.