Preparing Your Lawn and Landscape for the Winter The very warm summer is now behind us for the year, and itÕs time to prepare for the winter ahead. The following are tips to help you prepare your landscape for winter: Aeration breaks up the soil and allows airflow, water and nutrients to reach your lawnÕs roots easier. November is a great time to fertilize trees and shrubs that have been plated for at least a year, once all of their leaves have fallen. Finish cutting back perennials and mulch your perennial garden after the ground has frozen. Spring bulbs can be planted until the ground freezes. Trees, shrubs and plants can be transplanted after theyÕve lost their leaves. Check the grading around your homeÕs foundation to make sure it the soil slopes down away from the foundation. Otherwise, water can seep in along the foundation during winter snow thaws. Leaf Management If you still have leaves down in your yard, itÕs the time to rake them up! If there is a single layer of leaves on your lawn, they can be mowed and mulched into your soil. Mulching of your leaves is a necessary step of the process. If whole fall leaves are left on the soil, the rotting leaves under the weight of snow can cause dead spots in your lawn. Mulching the leaves into your landscape can add beneficial nutrients to your soil. Ever Thought of Composting? Fall is a great time to start composting! Fall leaves are the key ingredient to nutrient rich compost. To start composting, you can simply pile up raked up leaves and they will create compost. However, the best ingredient to start composting is shredded leaves. Mix equal parts of shredded leaves with green matter (lawn clippings (not treated with herbicides), kitchen waste that isnÕt meat, bones or fat, as well as spent garden plants. Barnyard manures are a great addition to compost piles to create very rich soil. You can enclose the compost pile with a simple rot-resistant wood or animal fencing or you can use an enclosed composter, a covered bin, spinner or tumbler that can fit nicely into your landscapeÕs design. By the spring, you will have the beginnings of fantastic compost that will give your spring landscape a great boost! As always, we at Timberline Landscapes would love to assist you making your landscape a healthy and beautiful part of your home. Contact us if we can help you check off any remaining winter landscaping preparations.