How To Protect Your Plants from Animals During Winter

Watering an evergreen tree before the winter season.

How To Protect Your Plants from Animals During Winter

As winter approaches, we face a new challenge: keeping plants safe from hungry animals looking for food. This can be a difficult season for animals with the snow and frigid temperatures.

Whether it is deer, rabbits, squirrels, or even domestic pets, the colder months can bring a host of critters eager to nibble on your garden.

Here’s a guide to how Weller Brothers can help you protect your plants from animal intruders in Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN, and Des Moines, IA.

Understanding the Threats

Different animals have varying habits and preferences when it comes to foraging. Below are the three most common types of furry friends that damage your Midwest vegetation.

Deer: Often roam in search of food and munch on buds, stems, side branches, fruits, and flowers of small trees and shrubs. They can also damage tree bark by scraping their antlers and heads on tree trunks.
Rabbits: Love to eat twigs, buds, and plant stems. When feeding on these plant stems, they may girdle the branches. Rabbits remove the bark completely around the trunks and stem of your trees, which disrupts the flow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots, leaving your trees struggling to stay healthy.
Rodents: Mice and voles can tunnel underground, damaging roots and bulbs. Their trails can be seen as raised trails through the snow.

Physical Barriers

At Weller Brothers, we suggest utilizing physical barriers to dissuade animals from finding dinner within your landscaping. The fall season, before snowfall, is the best time to install the physical barriers. You can remove the barriers once the snow begins to melt and your regular spring yard maintenance begins.

Which type of barrier should you use?

That depends on what plant material you need to protect and from which animals. For example:

Fencing: When installing fencing for your plants, it is important to consider what animals you are trying to deter. For rabbits and rodents, the fence should be a minimum of 4 feet tall. It should also be buried a few inches under the ground to prevent burrowing. For deer, the fence should be a minimum of 8 feet tall.
Netting and Cloth: Use netting or burlap to cover vulnerable plants. Newly planted juniper shrubs, delicate perennials, and annuals.
Tree guards: Are used to prevent wildlife from nibbling or rubbing bark off of the base of your tree.

Proper Fall Cleanup

Before the cold winter months hit, it is important to properly clean your yard. Fall cleanup removes leaves from your yard, makes space for new growth in the spring, and rids your yard of dangerous pests and diseases.

Leaf clutter and debris in the fall can be dangerous because they block vital nutrients to your lawn and attract many pests such as spiders, snakes, and rodents seeking shelter in the debris. A detailed fall cleanup will remove these pests from your yard and keep you and your lawn safe.

Contact Us To Protect Your Plants This Winter

Protecting your plants from animals during winter requires a combination of strategies.

Our Weller Brothers team understands the specific threats in our area and can implement effective deterrents so you can enjoy a thriving landscape when spring arrives In Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN, and Des Moines, IA.

Five Things To Consider When Adding Seasonal Color To Your Home

Large, gray flower pots on front porch of home

Five Things To Consider When Adding Seasonal Color To Your Home

Let’s face it — changing out your planters to match each season is the last thing on your to-do list.

At Weller Brothers Landscaping, our horticulture team creates elegant and upscale outdoor decor to ensure you enjoy year-round color at your front door.

Below are five things to consider when working with your Weller Brothers account manager in Sioux Falls, SD, and Rochester, MN to create your custom-designed planters.

Five Things to Consider When Creating Seasonal Planters

Whether it’s the glimmer of Christmas lights, the eye-catching colors of fall mums, or the enjoyment of blossoming flowers in the spring and summer, we can create something for you!

1. What seasons would you like planters for?

The possibilities are endless; the best thing about planters is that they are low commitment. Whether you want planters on rotation for each holiday or each season, we will provide the highest quality.

At Weller Brothers, we specialize in:

Spring and summer annuals
Fall mums, annuals, and ornamental grasses
Winter greens

2. Do you already have your own pots?

If you already have invested in pots that you love, there is no need to scrap them! During a consultation visit, our horticulture professionals will assess the size, color, and style of your pots to evaluate how we can best use them.

If you do not already have pots, we keep limited stock on hand or can source high-quality pots for you. It is as easy as sharing your likes and dislikes; your account manager will then find options for you to select your pots from.

3. Do you have a specific color palette and style in mind?

To create seasonal planters you love, we want to know everything (but nothing too personal) — just the basics such as color preference, style aesthetic, favorite flowers, and even least favorite flowers.

If you haven’t already, check out our gallery of seasonal planters and lights for inspiration to share with your account manager.

4. Do you need to utilize our storage facilities?

Often there are non-plant materials that are included in our pots such as filler, silk flowers, lights, and accent items. If you do not wish to disassemble your planter or store these items, you can use Weller Brothers material storage for a small monthly fee at our Sioux Falls location only.

This offers you the convenience of not having to lug items to the basement or worry about items being damaged in storage.

5. What is your budget?

We know that budget is always an important aspect. When considering your budget, several factors come into play.

The main factor that you will need to consider is pot size. The larger the pot, the more materials and time that are needed to curate a planter. Secondly, do you want your pots changed out seasonally? We have options from one standard pot installation at the time of your choosing, or seasonal changes for spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Contact Us To Add Seasonal Color To Your Front Door Today

This holiday season, let us take the stress out of decorating your Midwest home.

Our experienced horticulture team will ensure your home stands out in your neighborhood. Contact us here to request seasonal decor services. This is the best part about changing seasons in the Midwest!

Rochester Sioux Falls

Six Reasons To Use Native Plants in Your Next Landscaping Project

Landscaping project utilizing South Dakota Native Plants

Six Reasons To Use Native Plants in Your Next Landscaping Project

Did you know that utilizing native plants in your next landscaping project is not only great for the environment but can also make lawn maintenance easier?

We know that low-maintenance solutions are a priority as a homeowner. When it comes to your landscaping, Weller Brothers has you covered on the best ways to make a big impact on your property while only making a small impact on the earth.

Let’s learn why you should choose native plants when spring makes its eagerly awaited arrival back to the midwestern states!

One thing to keep in mind is that different geographic areas have different types of native plants. Finding a local nursery that can serve as a great asset to ensure that your selection of native plants is native to your area!

Environmental and Pocketbook Friendly

Native plants are low maintenance because they are naturally well suited for the local environment. By choosing native species for your landscaping, you can significantly cut down the time and money you spend on multiple different aspects of maintenance.

Native plants offer a wide variety of benefits to connect us with our environment. Below are six reasons from the professionals:

1. No Fertilizer or Pesticides Needed

Native plants have adapted to their ecosystem’s soil. No matter if your soil is poor or extremely fertile, they can survive off of the soil’s available nutrients, as well as defend against the area’s insects, diseases and fungi. Not only does this save you time and cash, but it is also great for the environment.

2. Irrigation

Though our planet may be full of water, the availability of clean and safe drinking water is shrinking. Water that is used to irrigate your lawn, garden, or flower bed is valuable and can quickly add up costs in the heat of summer. Native plants generally require less water than non-native plants due to their adaptation.

3. Annual Bloom

Gone are the days of having to head to your local nursery each spring to purchase plants for your yard! Due to the adaptability of native plants, they will resurface each spring as if you just planted them, saving you the hassle of having to repurchase, cage, tear out, and replant each year.

4. Water Runoff

When rain falls, it must go somewhere. The soil will soak up some of the water and replenish the groundwater. However, most water flows into a storm drain as runoff, which is often polluted by several different types of chemicals. By adding native plants, you can help minimize the effects of this runoff as their deep roots help filter stormwater before it makes its way to a waterway.

5. Erosion Prevention

Erosion — it is a real pain! It begins to change the shape of your yard’s slopes and landscape beds and can even change water flow. The extremely deep roots from native plants can help stabilize and anchor the soil to avoid further erosion.

6. Fostering Habitats and Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the wide variety of life on Earth; from humans to tiny organisms, biodiversity is the interconnection between all living things. When you grow native plants you’re preserving the natural connections and habitats between organisms in your yard. Homegrown National Park is a nationwide call to action to regenerate biodiversity in the ecosystem. This allows for a unique habitat to be built for discovery and learning from children of all ages in the outdoors.

What Native Plants to Include in the Midwest Region

Since you are now convinced to create your very own habitat from native plants, sourcing and selecting the perfect plants comes next! Prairie Moon Nursery is an advocate for prairie restoration and is a resource for authentic native plants.

Here are some of Weller Brothers favorite native plants that will not only thrive here in the Midwest, but add the fundamental elements needed to bring your landscape project to life.

Oak Trees’ (Quercus) ecological benefits number as high as their lifespan. Their mighty crown of branches provides not only an oasis of shade but also an abundant food source for native animals. The expansive root system also makes it an ideal choice for soil conservation, preventing erosion in natural or manmade terrain.
Yarrow (Achillea) is a unique plant sure to add color and texture to your landscape. This deer and rabbit-resistant plant can grow in some pretty unfavorable conditions but will give you long-lasting blooms that seem to float above the stems like lazy clouds ranging from red to pink to yellow. Yarrow is also a perfect addition to any fresh bouquet or to cut and dry.

Penstemon or Beardtongues are another native flower that come in a vibrant array of colors. These blooms provide a bountiful buffet of nectar to our favorite winged pollinators — hummingbirds and bees. As well as being an important player in promoting diversity, Penstemon is pest and drought-resistant.
Grasses such as Little BlueStem (Schizachyrium) provide not only year-round interest to your landscape, but year-round safety to one of our most important gardeners. This grass is often chosen by the female bumblebee as her shelter for the long winter. The seed of this grass also attracts many varieties of songbirds, a welcome sign of life on our long and dismal winter days.
Potentilla is a prolific blooming shrub that can add a pop of color to any landscape. Besides the benefit of beauty, the root system is fibrous and wide-spanning — acting as a perfect natural netting to prevent erosion.

Contact Us To Have the Professionals Design Your Native Plant Sanctuary

Take the guesswork out of creating an all-encompassing native landscape project and let the professionals at Weller Brothers in Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN, and Des Moines, IA, handle your project.

Our experienced Landscape Design team will ensure your native landscape project comes to life. Contact us here to request landscape design services.

Des Moines Rochester Sioux Falls

The Best Plants For Your Next Midwest Landscaping Project

The Best Plants For Your Next Midwest Landscaping Project

Living in the midwestern states is great, however some plants do not find that to be true. Not all plants thrive in the Midwest due to its climate, soil types, and other environmental factors. Plants may struggle due to the frigid winters, blazing summers, or various soil compositions. However, many native plants have adapted well to the Midwest’s conditions and flourish here.

As you begin creating your dream landscape project, there are a few things to consider when choosing a plant that will thrive in Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN or Des Moines, IA.

Ensure that the plants you include in your next landscaping project are Midwest-friendly with advice from the professionals at Weller Brothers and Better Homes & Gardens.

What to Consider When Selecting your Plants

When selecting plants for the garden, USDA hardiness zones provides detail on what plants will best survive your coolest weather. The Midwest region includes plant hardiness zones 3-5.

Deciding which plants to grow in the Midwest can be tricky. Using the hardiness zone tool above, start by narrowing in on the plants that best fit your climate. A couple of other important things to consider when adding new plants to your yard is how much sunlight your plant will need and how much space you need between plants.

Recommended Plants for Midwest Landscaping from the Horticulture Team

To transform a space and create a unique experience, Weller Brothers recommends incorporating a variety of color and texture; these elements add interest and richness to any design!

Below are five examples of plants that will not only thrive in the Midwest, but also add key elements to bring your dream landscape project to life.

The Types of Plants to Consider:

- Poaceae, commonly known as grasses, have narrow leaves with parallel veins and small, inconspicuous flowers.
- Burning bush are apart of the shrub family. Shrubs are any woody plant that has several stems, none dominant, and is usually less than 3 m (10 feet) tall.
- Echinacea are flowered perennials also known as Cone Flowers, and are often cultivated as border plants.
- Yucca, which is commonly referred to as Adam’s Needle, is unforgettable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white flowers.

How to Care for your Midwest-Friendly Plants

Once you have selected the perfect Midwest-friendly plants, placing them in the appropriate area, as well as ensuring that they are getting the proper amount of sunlight and hydration, is equally important to their life span. Different types of plants require different amounts of water and sunlight. Watering properly in the summer fends off heat stress; however, make sure to avoid overwatering and wetting the leaves to prevent disease in the already-muggy conditions.

Let's Start Planting!

If the thought of designing, selecting, building, and caring for your newest landscaping project feels overwhelming, leave the hard work to the professionals at Weller Brothers in Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN and Des Moines, IA.

Our experienced Landscape Design team will ensure your dream landscape project comes to life. Contact us here to request Landscape Design services.

Des Moines Rochester Sioux Falls

Dispose of your Christmas Tree Safely & Efficiently

Carrying Christmas Tree to Pickup from a Christmas Tree Farm

Dispose of your Christmas Tree Safely & Efficiently

The winter holiday season is often packed full of holiday cheer and festive decoration. However, when the season comes to an end, there is also the dread of taking the holiday decorations down and figuring out how to properly dispose of your Christmas Tree.

As you begin post-holiday cleanup, there are a few things to remember about Christmas tree disposal in Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN, and Des Moines, IA.

Use Weller Brothers helpful list of disposal options and our Christmas tree disposal service, as well as advice from the National Christmas Tree Association!

How to Prepare Your Christmas Tree for Disposal

The best part about decorating a real Christmas tree is that you can re-use your ornaments and accessories for many years to come! Be sure to remove all lights, ornaments, stands and man made items from your tree prior to disposal — these items will not be accepted during disposal.

Where to Dispose of Your Christmas Tree in Sioux Falls, SD

The Sioux Falls Regional Sanitary Landfill will offer two sites for Sioux Falls, SD area residents to properly dispose of their Christmas trees after the holiday season. Both sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m – Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays until January 12th. The landfill will be closed on New Year’s Day.

The two drop-off locations include:

1015 E. Chambers Street: The site’s west of Cliff Avenue, by the Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Access is available from North Drive to East Ash Street to Chambers Street, and from North Cliff Avenue to Chambers Street. The driveway just west of the hazardous waste facility will be the only access point.
100 North Lyon Boulevard: This is west of W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds. Access is available from West 12th Street to North Lyon Boulevard, and from West Madison Street to North Lyon Boulevard. The driveway just north of the railroad crossing will be the only access point.

Where to Dispose of Your Christmas Tree in Rochester, MN

Christmas trees can be properly disposed of through March at Olmsted County Compost Site located at 305 Energy Parkway NE, Rochester, MN 55906 any day of the week during daylight hours.

Where to Dispose of Your Christmas Tree in Des Moines, IA

Up until Jan. 6, Des Moines Metro Waste Authority will collect Christmas trees along with regular yard waste such as leaves and yard clippings on the curb on residents’ normal collection day.

Participating communities include Altoona, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Mitchellville, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Runnells, Urbandale, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights.

Live trees need a $1.25 green Compost It! sticker to be collected. Compost It! stickers can be found at many grocery stores in the Des Moines metro area. Trees and yard waste must be placed on the curb by 7 a.m.

Contact Us for Your Christmas Tree Disposal in Sioux Falls, SD and Rochester, MN

If you’re in the Sioux Falls, SD or Rochester, MN , area and the holiday season has already left you tired and dreading the trip to dispose of your Christmas tree, leave the heavy lifting to Weller Brothers.

Our experienced maintenance team will ensure your Christmas tree is disposed of properly. Contact us here to request Christmas tree disposal services.

Five Reasons to Hire a Full-Service Lawn Care Company in Rochester, MN

Rochester, MN lawncare team in front of Weller Brothers building

Five Reasons to Hire a Full-Service Lawn Care Company in Rochester, MN

Maintaining a healthy lawn is no easy task.

Even if you don’t do the work yourself, it can still be time-consuming and frustrating to piece together professional services throughout the year.

“What’s my fertilizer guy’s name again? I need to get a quote. Maybe the college kid down the street will be around to mow this summer for really cheap. Shoot, I forgot to do an online search for an irrigation company to do my sprinkler start-up. Okay, now my grass is dying, and I don’t know who to blame!”

Yikes. Does that sound like you?

The Benefits of Hiring a Full-Service Lawn Care Company

If you’re in Rochester, MN, and you want to eliminate this constant lawn care headache, it’s time to find a full-service, experienced lawn care company that you can count on all year long.

Here are the benefits:

1. You have one dedicated point of contact

When you have a contract with a full-service lawn care company, you will likely be assigned one dedicated point of contact to coordinate all of your lawn services, year-round.

At Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals, we call this your account manager.

You will have your account manager’s email and phone number to contact them should you have any questions about your contract, need to coordinate timing for a service, or general lawn health questions.

This means that not only will you not have to call around to coordinate your various lawn services throughout the year, but you also won’t even need to call our office, speak with our very friendly admin team, and wait for a callback. You can simply contact your account manager directly, anytime during the year.

How’s that for easy communication?

2. You have a comprehensive plan for your lawn with one team

There are so many factors that contribute to a healthy lawn. And, especially if your lawn is in rough shape to begin with, the journey to a thriving lawn takes time and care over the seasons.

When you hire one full-service company to provide your lawn care, you can work together to craft a long-term health plan.

You and your account manager will be on the same page about what your lawn health goals are and what it will take to get there, both time- and investment-wise. Additionally, you will know each year what your financial investment will be for the full year of services, which allows you to budget accurately.

When one company is taking care of all aspects of your lawn health, such as proper mowing, irrigation, and fertilizer, there is less room for error.

3. You're confident that a trained, professional team is at your home

When you hire a full-service lawn care company, you can trust that the men and women in your yard are both professional and – if applicable – licensed to do their job safely.

First, lets talk about professionalism.

At a full-service lawn care company, such as Weller Brothers, our employees have passed background checks and are required to follow our dress code policy while on the job.

We know this is important to homeowners because you don’t want just anyone in your yard or in your flower beds next to your windows. If someone is in your yard wearing a Weller Brothers navy shirt and khaki pants, you will know exactly why they are there.

Now, if you hire the random guy down the street for a one-off bed clean-up, you might look out your window to see some shmuck in a ripped cut-off tee and basketball shorts. Is he the lawn care guy? Is he a rambunctious neighbor kid? Is he running from the police and finding your bushes to be a good hiding place? Who knows . . .

Secondly, let's address training and licensure.

This is especially important when it comes to pesticides. Our team of pesticide applicators are Minnesota state-certified, and they renew their licenses annually by attending an in-person course.

If you just have a “lawn mowing guy”, he likely isn’t licensed to spray herbicide and pesticide on your turf, rock beds, and around your house. This creates a potential risk of the chemicals being applied improperly. They could be mixed too strong (which kills your grass) or could be too weak (does nothing). Or, if someone applies more product than needed, this is bad for both the environment and your wallet.

When you work with a full-service lawn care company like Weller Brothers, you can trust that all applicators are up-to-date on their licensure. That’s because the company will be liable if an employee is spraying without a license – a liability any reputable company will avoid.

4. You receive relevant recommendations for lawn improvement

When lawn care crews and account managers communicate regularly, the customer – that’s you – receives even better lawn care service.

At Weller Brothers, our knowledgeable crews are in constant communication with the account managers. If, for example, a horticulturist notices that your sprinkler head is broken, she will let your account manager know. Then, your account manager will send an irrigation technician to your home to fix it. All this happens efficiently, and you probably didn’t even know about it!

Similarly, when you have the same crew of lawn care professionals at your home each week, they can keep an eye out for developing issues.

Perhaps a lawn mowing foreman notices that, despite following an appropriate irrigation schedule, your lawn is browning week after week. He can let your account manager know, and your account manager may recommend a moisture manager treatment that allows your turf to better maintain moisture during dry periods.

This high-level context and knowledge of your lawn allows the professionals to make the right recommendations, which is great for both your turf and your budget.

5. You have a dedicated horticulture team

A full-service lawn care company will have built a team of people who have specific skillsets and knowledge regarding turf, soil, and plant health.

Sure, you can hire Joe Shmoe the “lawn guy,” but does he have extensive experience with all of the following:

correct mowing heights depending on the season
how to fix a broken sprinkler head
proper chemical mixing practices for fertilizer
why exactly your arborvitaes are dying
how far apart to plant echinaceas so they thrive

. . . probably not.

But, when you have a team, you get all of this experience in one. That includes a team of trained horticulturists who are dedicated specifically to caring for your landscape beds and plants throughout the year.

The members of our Weller Brothers horticulture team have degrees in horticulture as well as many years of combined experience working in different plant hardiness zones.

This means that your landscape beds will match the quality of lawn care you receive.

Connect With a Rochester Lawn Health Account Manager

Are you interested in getting started on a full-service, year-round lawn health program in Rochester, MN?

Your first step is to contact our office so an account manager can reach out to you. He or she will learn about your lawn health needs, provide an estimate for services, and answer any questions you may have.

Rochester

Outdoor Holiday Decor and Planters: Tips From the Professionals

front door of a brick home with holiday planters and wreaths

Outdoor Holiday Decor and Planters: Tips From the Professionals

Transform Your Home into a Winter Wonderland

The holiday season is right around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about how to make your home truly shine during this festive time of year.

At Weller Brothers Landscaping, our horticulture team creates elegant and upscale holiday decor. From hanging lights on homes and trees to crafting large custom wreaths and planters, we have the expertise to make your home look beautiful and festive without you having to lift a finger.

Our team shares some professional tips for holiday decor and planters that will help you achieve a festive and upscale holiday facade in Sioux Falls, Rochester, or Des Moines.

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

The key to a stunning holiday display is careful planning.

Begin by deciding on a theme or color scheme that complements your home’s architecture and surroundings.

Whether you prefer a traditional red and green palette or a more contemporary silver and gold theme, having a clear vision will make the decorating process smoother.

Tip 2: Invest in Quality Lights

When it comes to outdoor holiday lighting, quality matters.

We recommend investing in professional-grade LED lights. They are not only energy-efficient but also long-lasting, ensuring your display remains vibrant throughout the season.

For rooflines, we recommend C9 bulbs. They are high-quality, look nice, and the bulbs are spaced nicely. We prefer to purchase these from ChristmasLightsEtc., because of their phenomenal quality.

For trees and pots, we recommend single-molded sockets, which prevent moisture from getting into the wires. Any of the below styles are good, and just depends on the style you like:

You can also purchase these online, but several big box stores will have them as well, such as Ace Hardware.

Tip 3: Add Custom Wreaths and Planters

Nothing says “elegance” like a beautifully crafted wreath on your front door and stunning planters adorning your entryway.

If you don’t have an eye to design planters yourself, our horticulturists at Weller Brothers Landscaping can create custom wreaths and planters that match your chosen theme and reflect your unique style.

These eye-catching additions will instantly elevate your home’s curb appeal and make a lasting impression on your guests.

When designing your seasonal planter, consider the weather. A few tips:

In the Midwest, wind is common and can cause pots to tip over, and greens and decor can blow away. Make sure to securely fasten your decor.
Not all silks are rated for outdoor use. If you’re using silks, make sure they won’t bleed when wet.
Water your pots after you’ve designed them. It’ll freeze, which helps to hold the materials in place.

Tip 4: Embrace Natural Elements

Incorporating natural elements like evergreen branches, pinecones, and berries into your decor adds a touch of authenticity and warmth. These elements not only look beautiful but also bring the scents of the season to your doorstep.

You can mix and layer different elements and textures. To create a natural look, drape or cascade materials over the edge of your planters or steps. Nestle decor, like berries or pinecones, into the greens.

Have fun with it!

Tip 5: Focus on Symmetry and Balance

Achieving a polished and upscale look requires attention to detail. Symmetry and balance are key principles in holiday decor.

When arranging lights, wreaths, and planters, try to create a harmonious and visually pleasing composition that enhances the architectural features of your home.

Want to know our trick at Weller Brothers?

It’s “thrill, fill, spill.” By including one tall “thriller” item, filling a planter with another material, and having a third material spill over the edge, you will create an eye-catching piece of decor!

Lastly, consider if your decor will be viewed from one side or four sides and design accordingly.

Contact Us for Your Holiday Decor in Sioux Falls, Rochester, and Des Moines

This holiday season, let us take the stress out of decorating your Midwest home.

Our experienced horticulture team will ensure your home stands out in your neighborhood. Contact us here to request seasonal decor services. This is the best part about winter in the Midwest!

Rochester Sioux Falls

Five Steps to Prep Your Yard for Winter

Lawn care employees removing leaves from front porch

Five Steps to Prep Your Yard for Winter

The Midwest winter cold can be a huge shock to your yard, garden, and landscaping. It’s important to prep your yard before the cold sets in so that your turf, plants, and flowers are ready to bloom again in the spring.

Here are five things you can do as part of your landscaping fall clean-up routine.

1. Clean Your Pots and Containers

This is a good time to gather all of your seasonal flower pots and clean them so they are ready for next spring.

Remove all plant material from the pot. If the soil has become root-bound, remove this as well. Removing the plant debris reduces the possibility of diseases being carried over to next season’s plants.

Clean your pots and bring them inside for the winter to reduce the risk of damage.

2. Cut Back Your Flower and Garden Beds

Cutting back your annuals, perennials, and shrubs will keep your beds looking tidy throughout the winter, while also setting them up for a successful bloom next year.

Annuals and Vegetables

As part of your fall cleanup, remove all of your annuals from pots and garden beds and till the soil, if applicable. If you have organic material like leaves and grass clippings, add these to the soil to help build nutrients.

Note that it’s important to completely remove your vegetable debris (vine crops, tomato vines, etc.) from the garden as they can harbor disease and insects.

Perennials and Shrubs

Each type of perennial is different, but most should be cut back ahead of the winter frost.

Ornamental grass: Leave this 3”-4” tall if you choose to cut it back. Some people like to leave them for winter interest during the winter season; they provide a nice look with fresh snowfall.
Herbaceous perennials: Cut back about 1” above the ground.
Hydrangeas: Pruning techniques depend on the type of hydrangea. Some types can be cut back to the ground, leaving about 4-6.” Other types need light to moderate pruning, to keep them in shape. There is no harm in choosing to leave these for spring pruning, as they provide winter interest.
Dogwoods: This is a very hardy shrub and can be pruned back 50%, removing any dead material.
Spireas: Cut them back to about the size of a beach ball.
Roses: Don’t do anything until spring. If needed, minimal pruning/shaping can be done in the fall if the rose(s) have become too large or are unsightly. Then, use a hand pruner to remove any dead canes so the roses have a neat, healthy appearance.

3. Seed and Aeration Your Lawn

If you want your lawn to be fuller and healthier in the spring, you should seed and aerate it in the fall.

Overseeding

You can purchase or rent an overseeder machine from a local hardware store. This machine has rotating blades that leave a groove in the ground, into which it deposits the grass seed. Confirm that the grass seed you purchase is right for the light conditions of the area (sunny vs. shady). You can then use this machine to plant the new seed in any thin spots of your lawn.

The benefits of overseeding include:

Fills in bare or thin areas damaged by diseases, heat, water deficit, insects, pets, and foot and equipment traffic. It also increases the density of existing turf.
Reduce Risk of Pests & Disease: Overseeding will introduce new cultivars of grass seed that are more tolerant to pests and diseases.
Reduces weeds: Creating a lush, dense turf, is the best defense against weeds.
Improves Appearance: Seed germination occurs in 7-10 days.
Reduce Erosion: Grasses have fibrous, dense root systems that do an exceptional job of holding soil in place.
Increases Thickness/Density: Turf becomes more durable, withstanding foot traffic and play, as well as holding up to natural weathering and environmental stress.
Reduces Chemicals: Maintaining a healthy, robust turf can reduce the chemical applications needed.

Before beginning the work, check the yard for any objects that can be thrown by the blades/machine. Rocks are a common hazard.

As an alternative to renting an overseeder, you can hire a professional like Weller Brothers Landscaping to take care of this. We have all of the equipment needed and use professional, high-quality seed mixes/blends.

After planting the grass seed, do nothing. You don’t want the seed to germinate until the spring because cold winter conditions could injure or possibly kill the young tender shoots The winter snow will help with insulation and soil moisture once spring does arrive, reducing the need to water the area as frequently.

You can put down an erosion control blanket to help protect the area until the seed germinates in the spring. This will naturally biodegrade into the ground over time.

Lastly, when mowing your new turf for the first couple of mowings, be sure to bag or rake the clippings. Removing the clippings prevents the clipping from collecting on the turf canopy and killing or injuring the young turf.

Aeration and Fertilizer

Have you ever noticed clumps of dirt on a beautifully green lawn? That’s the process of aeration.

There are many benefits to aerating your lawn before the winter:

Improved air exchange between soil and atmosphere
Enhanced soil water uptake
Improved fertilizer uptake and use
Reduced water runoff and puddling
Stronger and healthier turfgrass roots
Reduced soil compaction
Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance
Improved resiliency and cushioning
Enhanced thatch breakdown

To aerate your lawn, you can rent a machine or hire a professional.

In addition to aerations, a fall fertilizer application is very beneficial. If you chose to do both, apply the fertilizer first and then aerate your lawn. When applying a fall fertilizer, be sure to select a product that is low in nitrogen. Typical fertilizer bags will specifically say “fall” or “step four” on them.

4. Remove the Leaves

This is one of the most important things to do in order to keep your lawn healthy come spring. Removing the leaves prevents disease and insects from damaging your turf in early spring.

After the kids have enjoyed jumping in the leaf piles all autumn, you need to remove the fall leaves from your yard to avoid having dead spots in the grass next spring.

It’s way easier to do this in the fall than to deal with gross, matted leaves in the spring — trust us!

You can also mulch your leaves. This will require several passes with the mower in order to mulch all the leaves into tiny pieces.

5. Winterize Your Irrigation System

The last thing you should do as part of your lawn’s fall clean-up routine is to have your irrigation system winterized.

For this, hire a professional to blow out the irrigation system with an air compressor. This process removes any of the remaining water in your irrigation system so that it doesn’t freeze in the winter. If you skip this important step, it is possible that any remaining water in the irrigation system may cause damage to the irrigation system components, potentially causing a pipe to burst and creating water damage in your house.

Yikes.

Bonus tip: Don’t forget to remove the garden hose from your water spigot before the winter freeze!

Sound Like A Lot? Call the Professionals

At Weller Brothers, our team of landscape professionals does this kind of work day-in and day-out, all year long in the Midwest.

We know how to prepare your yard for each season ahead so that you can have the healthiest, most beautiful lawn on the block.

Want us to take care of prepping your yard for winter? Contact us today.

Des Moines Rochester Sioux Falls