Winter Landscaping Tips for Iowa Homeowners

Iowa winters are not kind to landscapes. The freeze-thaw cycles, drying winds, heavy snow loads, and bitter cold all take a toll on your yard. But most winter damage is preventable. A little preparation in the fall and some smart practices during the cold months can save you a lot of repair work in the spring. We see the same problems year after year at properties across Cedar Falls. The good news is that most of them are avoidable with some straightforward steps that do not take much time or money.

Let us start with mulch. A fresh layer of mulch applied after the ground freezes in late fall acts as insulation for plant roots. It keeps the soil temperature more stable through the winter, which prevents the heaving that happens when the ground freezes and thaws repeatedly. That heaving pushes perennials and small shrubs out of the ground, exposing roots to cold air. A good 3-inch layer of mulch moderates the temperature swings and keeps your plants where they belong. Just make sure the ground is frozen before you put the mulch down. Mulching too early can trap moisture and encourage rot, which is worse than no mulch at all.

Evergreens need special attention before winter sets in. Broadleaf evergreens like boxwood and rhododendrons lose moisture through their leaves all winter long. When the ground is frozen, their roots cannot replace that moisture. The result is winter burn, those brown, crispy leaves you see on evergreens in spring. The fix is simple: water your evergreens deeply in late fall before the ground freezes. A thorough soaking gives them a reservoir of moisture to draw from through the winter. An anti-desiccant spray on the foliage can also help reduce moisture loss on particularly exposed plants. We recommend doing this on a mild day in November when the soil is still workable.

Young trees are vulnerable to two common winter problems: sunscald and animal damage. Sunscald happens on warm winter days when the sun heats the bark on the south side of the tree, causing the tissue to become active. When the sun goes down and temperatures drop fast, that active tissue dies. You end up with vertical cracks or dead patches on the trunk. Wrapping the trunk with tree wrap from the base up to the first branches protects against sunscald. The same wrap also protects against rabbits, voles, and deer that will chew on tender bark when food is scarce. In the Cedar Valley, rabbit damage is especially bad in years with heavy snowfall because the rabbits get up higher on the trunk.

Snow removal deserves a mention here, especially if you have paver patios or walkways. Metal shovels and blades will scratch paver surfaces and scrape out the polymeric joint sand that keeps pavers locked in place. Use a plastic shovel on paver surfaces, and avoid ice melt products that contain calcium chloride or sodium chloride in high concentrations near plants. Sand is a safe alternative for traction on icy walkways. And when you are piling snow, try to keep it off your landscape beds if possible. Heavy snow piles can crush perennials and compact the soil underneath, creating problems that show up when things thaw out.

Winter is also a good time to plan. The growing season in the Cedar Valley is busy, and it is easy to make impulse decisions when you are in the middle of spring cleanup and installation. Winter gives you time to think about what you want to do with your yard next year. Walk your property on a mild winter day. Look at the bare bones of your landscape. Notice where the sun hits and where the shade falls. Think about drainage patterns you can see without leaves and grass in the way. Then call us when you are ready to turn those ideas into a plan.