Getting Your Backyard Ready for the Winter Months
Maintaining our properties involves lots of different chores, depending on the season. As the end of the year approaches you’ll have a few maintenance jobs to do in your backyard. To get ready for the wintertime, start with these ideas.
Remove diseased plants
To get your backyard ready for the winter the first thing you’ll need to do is remove diseased plants. Unless you remove these now you’ll have problems with your garden in the springtime. Here are a few common plant diseases to look out for:
- Bacterial Spot: If you notice that your plants are covered with dark spots this is a sign that your plants have bacterial spots. You’ll need to remove the plants which are infected and then use a fungicide treatment on the remaining plants.
- Bacterial Blight: Look out for raised yellow spots on your plants, this is a sure sign of bacterial blight. Destroy the plants that are infected, and leave plenty of space between the remaining plants.
Get rid of weeds
By the end of the year you might have weeds taking over your garden, take the time to remove these, in preparation for the springtime. There are lots of different natural ways to remove weeds from your backyard including:
- Make your own natural weed killer by using a combination of salt, dish soap, and white vinegar.
- Apply borax, this is also an incredibly effective DIY weed killer.
- Adding mulch to your plants is a great way to suppress weeds, (a layer of mulch will smother weeds and stop them from getting sunlight).
- Boiling water is another great way to kill off the weeds in your garden.
Check your septic tank
As the end of the year approaches it’s a good idea to check your septic tank. You’ll need to have your septic tank pumped every few years, to keep it in good working order. If you have issues with your tank, you’ll need more regular maintenance. There are a few signs that you may have problems with your septic tank:
- Bad odors and gurgling pipes.
- Pools of water in your backyard.
- Your tank is draining slowly.
- There’s a blockage in your pipes.
If you notice any of these issues at your property septic tank pump-outs will help you to deal with the problem quickly.
Cover your plants
Some plants are hardy and will survive the wintertime, while others need a little bit of help. The best thing to do is to purchase a few blankets, so you can cover your plants at night time. You can use a bed sheet or you can buy special sheets from your local gardening store.
Grit your paving
When the ground is icy, slips and falls are common. To keep your family safe remember to grit your paving with salt. Additionally, ensure that your outdoor lighting is in good working order, you might even need to add extra lights to your garden space.
Using these simple steps you’ll soon get your backyard ready for the wintertime. From protecting your plants to removing weeds, there are plenty of important chores to do in the wintertime. When the new year comes you’ll have plenty of time to update your backyard.
