by Patrick Leitch, Master OCNT • Landscape Foreman
Winter is setting in fast with most of the leaves now fallen. We have already seen a number of days with freezing temperatures in central Ohio. So, a few things to think about as we get ready to settle in for a long winter’s…. ignore your landscape until spring…… nap, ha. If you were one of the lucky ones to have the national award-winning M. J. Design Associates team install new plantings around your property, you need to protect those new plants from drying out over the winter.
Freezing temperatures are just as detrimental as scorching heat if the ground is dry around your new, establishing plant material. Maintaining moisture does not require regular watering, but it does require diligent investigation and checking for moisture in the soils around the base of your new plants. If there is consistent moisture 5-6 inches BELOW the surface and the soil can be compressed in to a mud ball without crumbling apart, then you can count on moisture levels being sufficient. There are also moisture gages that can be found at your local garden centers and online if you’d like to get more specific.
Another precaution for December is to prevent issues in the spring regarding your home’s outdoor water—check your hoses! You will see when your M. J. crew is finishing for the season your hoses will be disconnected and coiled up for storage. Disconnecting all your hoses will ensure that they will not be a cause of frozen faucets and/or pipes as the freezing temperatures sets in.
Here at M. J. Design, we desire for your property to be taken care of as if it were our own. Have a wonderful winter and a happy holiday season!
