The leaves have fallen, our clocks have been turned back, the first snow has dropped, and we are reminded that winter is just around the corner. As the cold and snow creep in, there are things every home owner can do to prepare their home and yard for the winter.
Maintenance can be crucial to ensure your home’s comfort and functionality during the cold winter months. Check and replace worn or damaged weather stripping on windows and doors to reduce the loss of heat from your home and to prevent the windy winter chill from coming inside. Having your furnace and chimney cleaned and serviced is also a good idea to keep it running efficiently and reduce the chance of a breakdown; this is a good safety precaution too. Now may be a good time to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as well, as house fire frequencies rise during the winter.
Outside, there are tasks that can be completed to help your property endure winter, and prepare for a smooth transition into spring. Clean out roof gutters after the leaves have fallen and check your roofs for damage and leaks, repairing them as needed to prevent ice issues and leaky roofs during times of thaw. Gardening equipment from the spring and summer should also be stored away, making sure that hoses are drained, reeled up, and brought inside. Outdoor faucets for garden watering should be turned off, well drained and/or insulated to prevent broken pipes during times of frost.
Additionally, the leaves that have recently fallen can be put to use around the yard. You can skip raking all together and simply mow your remaining leaves in order to speed up decomposition and allow for better drainage of rain and snow. Mulched leaves can be used as a source of organic matter on your garden. The nutrients added will be available in the spring for plants to absorb as well. Now is also a good time to remove the roots of unwanted plants and weeds; helping to prevent them from reseeding themselves in the spring. This prep in the fall should make planting in the spring smoother and more successful.
Winter typically reduces the abundant food sources available for wildlife. Animals like deer and mice will be looking for food, and your trees and shrubs may appear to be a desirable snack. Small shrubs and new young trees can be protected from animals by installing tree tubes or temporary fencing around them. This won’t entirely eliminate winter foraging by wild animals, but it may greatly reduce the damage to your plants. Make sure that these protective barriers are in direct, tight contact with the ground, or buried slightly, to prevent rodents from gnawing on the base of the plant or its root ball.
These simple steps can help prepare your home and yard for winter. Putting the hard work in now should ease the burden of preparation in the spring and give you more time to enjoy emerging from hibernation.
