Steve here from Curb Appeal:

This question comes up every year and the answer does change a bit from year to year. Partly because of a little thing called “Climate Change”, and partly due to the growing season being longer or shorter,  drier or wetter, at different points during the year in the DMV area.

It almost goes without saying that homeowners with a large amount of plant material to look out for have more to concern themselves with over the winter. If we get an ice storm, if you have more plants and tree’s then you likely have more potential damage than if you have less and different kinds of plants. But make no mistake, Fall is a good time to make sure your plants will weather the winter and have a good Spring.

  I think the best advice for folks going into winter, particularly those that may be thinking about listing their home for sale in the Springtime, if possible, is to have your property ship-shape before winter happens. 

This starts with having the “Fall Clean-up” done on the yard before any snow flys or we get a hard frost.

This means, simple acts like getting the shrubs / tree’s trimmed that may be a bit too large or out of shape. This isn’t a heavy trim, just clean it up so its shapely and not going to direct energy to parts unwanted come spring. Of course this also means a good final leaf cleanup before Thanksgiving or December 15th, so no heavy layer of leaves is matting down your lawn or gardens or walkways and looking bleak all winter. We still want our grass getting as much light as it can during the cold weather and / or snow.

Don’t forget that clean gutters and part of your Curb Appeal. Schedule a gutter cleaning for when your trees have lost their last leaves, even if you have some type of gutter guards, our local Tulip Poplars and Maples can foul up gutter systems, so it’s worth the time to get them cleaned / checked so you prevent freezing and ice dams if we get a messy winter. 

I’m a strong advocate for mulching planting and garden beds in the fall with leaf mulch instead of wood mulch for the winter, and then again, as needed, in the spring. I think that leaf mulch works better, looks way better year round, and is better for the soil. 

Also, for the bulb mavens in the crowd, make sure that your bulbs are properly stored for spring planting if you dont do it in the fall.  If you plant in the fall, get them in before the first frost and bury to the recommended depth for that species. also make sure the soil is prepped and loose and not planted in a bank of lovely Virginia clay. Mix some peat moss, sand and topsoil in equal parts for an easy soil mix to fill the holes for your fall planted bulbs……and……dont forget the bulb fertilizer!

September / Early October is an opportune time to overseed your lawn if there are a few spots that need attention. It is also a good idea for a lawn aeration to help get oxygen and nutrients and root stimulation into your soil and give grass roots a good start in the spring .

Finally, a pet peeve of mine is Grubs, the in-ground larvae of the Japanese Beetle. These seem to be in McLean in abundance and do lots of damage to your lawn and garden. I’m not an advocate of lots of pesticides for a whole host of reasons but unless treated, grubs will wreck your lawn. There are many products on the market to deal with these harmful bugs which eat your grasses roots and kill it leaving a big brown dead patch in your lawn. So do your homework and see what you prefer, or what your lawn service recommends.  

There is a product called “Milky Spore” that is an effective mostly organic treatment and a good alternative to broad spectrum pesticide usage in your yard. Here’s a link to check it out – “Milky Spore”.

So in closing, these are just a few helpful hints on making sure your Curb Appeal thaws out when you do once winter’s icy breeze has left the DC area.

Don’t forget, many area nurseries ship their unsold inventory plant stock south for the winter to warmer climates or commercial greenhouses. This usually means their are some good sales to be had on plant materials like shrubs, trees, and perennials so they dont need to take an 18 wheeler ride to Georgia for the winter. So if you need to replace a shrub or need some perennials, late September / Early October is the time to do it. Check your local garden center.

Questions???  Email us at [email protected] .