5 Ways to Prepare Your Landscape for San Diego Winters
With the weather changing this winter in San Diego, don't make the mistake of thinking you don’t need to take preventative and protective actions for your landscape. Even though we don’t get snow here, the increase in rain and sudden drops in temperature can still impact your lawn and plants. We know you want to save yourself the hassle of having to re-do your landscape completely from winter damage!
Luckily there are 5 easy ways to keep your outdoor space healthy and thriving through the next few months.
1. Protect Sensitive Plants
Some plants are sensitive to even the smallest drop in temperature. For example, orange trees experiencing any cold can lead to the entire fruit crop being destroyed. Make sure to have plastic wraps on hand to protect them during colder days. For smaller plants, you can also use pop-up plant protectors or move them to a sheltered area.
2. Adjust Your Watering Cycles
Winter brings the rains, with January being the wettest month in San Diego. If you have an automatic sprinkler system in place, make sure to adjust the water cycles to take into account the rainfall increase. The last thing you want to do is overwater your lawn or plants!
3. Plant Winter Flowers
While some plants don't do well in the cooler weather, there are plenty of beautiful and colorful flowers you can start planting this month that will thrive. Here are three winter-loving flowers we recommend:
Snapdragons: These fragrant flowers bloom until the weather starts warming up and can be cut for indoor flower arrangements over the holidays.
Poinsettias: For a holiday vibe, these sub-tropical red or white flowers add a vibrant pop of color to your flower beds.
Pansies: These durable flowers can survive through frost, come in various colors from gold to purple, and grow around 6 to 9 inches tall.
4. Protect Your Lawn
Just because we don't get heavy snow doesn't mean you shouldn't protect your lawns! Now and December is the time to aerate and seed your lawn to prevent any cold or wet weather damage. Then use fertilizer to support its growth, so your lawn will spring back to life when the warmer weather hits.
5. Prune Your Trees
Between now to March is the best time to prune your trees since they are dormant and easier to trim. The sooner you do it, the better, so you ensure your trees are healthy and:
Protected against winter diseases and insects
Ready for fruit and flowers to develop in the spring
Looking beautiful to improve your curb appeal
If you have any questions about preparing your landscape for the winter, we are here to help! At Right Ways, we provide landscape maintenance and arbor management services, so your outdoor space is safe, healthy, and beautiful all year long. Contact us today to get a free estimate.
