Winter is nearly here, which means that you need to be proactive with your landscape by preparing it to be sustainable throughout the season and productive again when the weather warms up. This article discusses seven things you should do as soon as possible in order to winterize your landscape.

1. Care for your tools. Lightly coat metal parts of tools in oil, and sand and oil wooden tools as well. Power tools will need extra care, so consider this for each of them and discuss with your power tool supplier or mechanic. For example, lawnmower and other engines should be filled with fuel conditioner and cleaned thoroughly, and their blades should be sharpened.


2. Prune trees and shrubs. Especially with woody plants like butterfly bushes, and roses make sure you prune the trees and shrubs around your lawn as a protective measure.


3. Get all water out of your irrigation system. Freezing water can cause a lot of damage that you want to avoid. Doing so is simple. First, shut off the water supply to the system. Then, draining the system or applying air pressure to it with a compressor.


4. Control fall weeds. There are weeds that grow in the fall, such as chickweed and annual bluegrass. These should be dealt with as soon as an issue arises. It is also helpful to, even farther in advance, add a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn as a preventative measure. This is best done in mid to late September.


5. Rake. As fall progresses, your lawn will likely continue to pile up with leaves falling from the trees. Clear all leaves and debris from your lawn. If left on the lawn in large amounts, they will not break down quickly and will likely kill turf grass. You can use a lawn mower to mulch dead leaves.


6. Mulch. Adding a top layer of mulch to the beds on your lawn and around trees and shrubs will help to provide nutrients to soil over the winter. Do so before the soil freezes, but after it cools. A thin layer (around two to four inches) is best made of such materials as straw, pine needles, compost, and pine bark in order to avoid suffocating roots.

It is absolutely critical to follow through with these aspects of landscape winterization. Winter is a trying yet manageable time for lawns and gardens. By completing the items listed here, the outdoor space at your Nashville home will be ready to handle the wintertime.