Valentine’s Day is typically devoted to showing affection to our loved ones with flowers, chocolates, and kisses. But this year, be sure to share some love with your beloved home and lawn, too! Just like a healthy relationship requires nurturing and dedication, a healthy landscape requires just the right amount of attention and care, even in the cooler months.
The practice of maintaining a healthy landscape offers many benefits to you as well. Plants serve as objects of beauty and enjoyment while also providing many environmental benefits such as food and shelter for wildlife. Well-maintained landscapes can even boost your home’s value. Taking care of plants also provides a sense of accomplishment and pride. Use these winter care tips below to show your landscape some love this Valentine’s Day.
1) Take your lawn and flowers to dinner. All plants need nutrients to grow and be healthy. The most important plant foods are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. They are found bundled appropriately for your lawn or plants in commercially-available fertilizers. Be sure to read the label and apply the products at the right rate and time.
2) Make a date to prune. Depending on what type of plants you grow, it’s important to prune at the correct time. For example, some experts recommend that roses be pruned in the late winter. However, certain shrubs and trees should be left alone until temperatures rise. Read more about the right time to prune from a previous Debug the Myths blog post here.
3) Think warm thoughts. Winter is an excellent time to learn more about your growing zone and start planning for spring planting. Identify potential pest pressures associated with various plants and zones before you plant your seeds or nursery plants.
