4 Easy Steps To Prepare Your Trees And Plants For Winter

This first week of fall, the temperatures have already started to drop. The trees are beginning to change and the colors of fall are everywhere. Do you have plants and trees that need special attention and care during the winter months? You may need to contact a certified arborist in order to find out if your trees and shrubs need protection during the winter. If you need some tips to get you started we've created a list.

4 Easy Steps to Prepare Your Trees and Plants for Winter :

Debris Removal: During the fall it is a good idea to go ahead and remove rocks, sticks, leaves and trash from around your shrubs and flower beds. This is a great way to save time in the spring.

Mulch: If you haven't spread mulch around all your shrubs, plants and trees, it's time to get to it. Mulch should be applied before fall sets in. Mulch not only keeps your flower beds looking good, but it also helps your plants and trees retain moisture.

Protect Sensitive Plants: Certain bushes shrubs and plants need protection during the winter and cold temperatures. Theses plants should be covered before the first frost. In Acworth, Marietta, Cartersville, and surrounding Metro Atlanta areas the first frost isn't usually until late October or early November, so you have a few weeks left to cover your sensitive plants like strawberries, azaleas and rose bushes.

Pruning in fall and winter: During the fall and winter trees and shrubs go dormant. This is a great time to trim and prune them. Trimming during the colder months keeps diseases from spreading when pruning. You should not trim or prune the trees and bushes that bloom in early spring, as you could accidentally trim off the blooms when they are tiny buds.